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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12 - December 12, 2025 Mayor and Commission Chairs Meeting November 19, 2025 (3)CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE CITY HALL 10300 TORRE AVENUE • CUPERTINO, CA 95014-3255 TELEPHONE: (408) 777-3223 CUPERTINO.GOV CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM Date: December 12, 2025 To: Cupertino City Council From: Tina Kapoor, City Manager Re: Mayor and Commission Chairs Meeting on November 19, 2025 Background On November 19, 2025, Mayor Liang Chao convened the final Mayor and Commission Chairs Meeting of the year at the Quinlan Community Center. The meeting followed the standard format of receiving updates from each commission, followed by a discussion on citywide communication and community engagement topics. The Mayor opened the meeting by acknowledging the important role commissions play in advancing policy discussions and community engagement. Commissioners and staff discussed communication practices across departments and identified opportunities to strengthen public outreach and ensure consistent information sharing. Suggestions included exploring additional tools, such as providing brief summary of updates after meetings, expanding the use of City communication channels, and coordinating outreach efforts to further support transparency and community awareness. Commissioners are expected to attend meetings in person. However, if a commissioner has unavoidable travel plans, is ill or if there are other emergency circumstances, the Brown act provides for remote attendance. Whether there are circumstances that justify remote attendance is reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the City Attorney’s Office. If a Commissioner believes they have justification to attend remotely, they should notify their commission liaison and the City Attorney’s Office. Additional information for Commissioners will be provided by the City Clerk’s Office. The meeting also included a review of agenda-setting practices and liaison support. Commissioners expressed interest in greater consistency in how agendas and materials are distributed, and staff affirmed ongoing efforts to refine internal processes to support predictable and timely packet preparation. The Mayor encouraged continued collaboration between chairs, liaisons, and the City Clerk’s Office to ensure clear expectations and smooth meeting operations across all commissions. Commission chairs provided updates on recent activities. The Housing Commission reported productive review of housing program materials and expressed interest in continued coordination with the Planning Commission on development-related items. The newly formed Economic Development Committee shared initial discussions on 2026 economic opportunities, including major regional events. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission highlighted recent transportation planning discussions and expressed interest in contributing to future Vision Zero efforts. The Teen Commission reflected on recent youth-oriented presentations and ongoing partnership opportunities with community organizations. The Parks and Recreation, Sustainability, and Library Commissions each provided updates on recent programming, community events, and ongoing initiatives. The Mayor concluded the meeting by noting potential follow-up actions, including providing additional resources related to Brown Act participation, continuing to refine agenda-setting practices, and identifying future opportunities for coordinated commission review on multi-disciplinary topics. In response to the Mayor’s request, each commission’s three summary bullet points are attached for your reference. Sustainability Impact No sustainability impact. Fiscal Impact No fiscal impact. City Work Program Item/Description None Council Goals Public Engagement and Transparency California Environmental Quality Act No California Environmental Quality Act impact. _____________________________________ Prepared by: Serena Tu, Executive Assistant to the City Manager/Council Reviewed by: Kirsten Squarcia, Interim Deputy City Manager/City Clerk Approved for Submission by: Tina Kapoor, City Manager Attachments: A – November 19, 2025 - Mayor’s Commission Chairs Meeting Summary Bullet Points ATTACHMENT A 2025 Mayor and Commission Chairs Meeting Quinlan Community Center, Social Room 10185 N Stelling Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014 MEETING AGENDA Wednesday, November 19, 2025 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM 5:00 PM – 5:10 PM Welcome and Introductions Mayor Chao 5:10 PM – 6:10 PM Commission Updates Community Engagement Support City Council Communication Name Badge All 6:10 PM – 6:30 PM Closing Remarks Mayor Chao ATTACHMENT A AGENDA ITEMS Please use this space to include up to three summary bullets highlighting key activities from each commission. AUDIT COMMISSION • Have multiple subcommittee meetings and met with public to review the budget format in Opengov. • Item was presented to AC and they moved forward the budget format recommendations to city council. • Reviewed pension and OPEB policies and forward to city council for the December meeting. ARTS AND CULTURE COMMISSION 1. Arts and Culture Commission meeting took place on 9/22/25 The theme for the 2025 Annual Artists Award program was discussed and decided as “Threads that Bind us”. 2. The City Council conducted a Study Session on the Arts & Culture Commission's recommendation for an Art-in-Lieu policy, on10/21/25. Chairperson of the Arts and Culture Commission was present to provide background and clarifications and received feedback. 3. Next Arts and Culture Commission meeting will take place on 11/17/25. Annual Artist Awards program entries have been received and will be evaluated jointly by the commissioners. An amazing number - total of 164 entries have been received for the three categories: Young Artists, Emerging Artists, and Distinguished Artists. BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION • BPC discussed Pedestrian safety concerns on Torre Ave and Town center lane (around Library/City Center) and made recommendations for holistic pedestrian safety improvements on Torre Ave from Pacifica to Rodrigues including considering relevant data. • BPC reviewed the proposed framework and representatives for Vision Zero action plan task force and made recommendations including, the composition of ATTACHMENT A task force, to include representation from the Council and public safety commission, write a policy document on meeting governance, and to provide an update & seek input from the Council • The 2025 Fall Bikefest had good participation from the community with 670 participants (total of 790 including volunteers and vendors), an increase of 16% from the prior year. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE • Held first meeting on November 17. Discussed economic opportunities for 2026 such as Super Bowl LX, FIFA World Cup, and the TV show Cupertino, and brainstormed potential projects for the 2026 Work Plan. • The committee is tentatively scheduled to hold a special meeting on December 11, 2025, at 4pm. HOUSING COMMISSION • During the October 23 regular Housing Commission meeting, the City announced the FY 26-27 Notice of Funding Availability for city-funded housing programs. Eligible non-profits and affordable housing developers were encouraged to apply. The NOFA will be available from November 3 to February 3. • Similarly during the October 23 meeting, the City announced the Request for Proposals for administration of the Below Market Rate Program. Eligible consultants were encouraged to apply. The RFP will be available from November 3 to December 3. • The commissioners deliberated on future agenda setting and confirmed a desire to discuss the impacts of federal housing program budget cuts and how the City should respond as well as the topic of adding a renter seat to the Housing Commission code. LIBRARY COMMISSION ATTACHMENT A • We invited the President of the Friends of the Cupertino Library to give a presentation on how the book donation program works, what types of books they accept, and how we can better promote donations within the community. The presentation was informative and provided helpful guidance on how the commission can support increased community participation. • Commissioner Chandra assisted with the Puzzle Hunt event at the Cupertino Library, helping at the table and distributing bookmarks and other materials. During the event, some participants mentioned they were unable to find certain clues in Memorial Park and other locations. Chandra directed these community members to the Cupertino Library liaison, and their questions were addressed promptly. • Following the interview process, the selection of the next Cupertino Poet Laureate has been finalized, and the offer letter has been sent out. The new Cupertino Poet Laureate will officially begin their term in January 2026. PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION • Verbal updates. PLANNING COMMISSION • A citywide clean-up update to numerous Municipal Code chapters—covering landscaping, protected trees, mapping, hillside rules, zoning districts, accessory structures, signs, parking, and other sections—was approved only for state-law compliance, spelling corrections, and minor readability fixes, with all other substantive non–state-law changes required to be removed now and returned later as a separate agenda item. • PC heard an update on the Active Transportation Plan, including Phase 1 activities and Phase 2 planning, and the Commission’s final amended motion modified project scoring criteria (Access, Connectivity, Balance), removed the Fairness criterion, and added project recommendations such as improving high- injury intersections with red light and speeding cameras, conducting baseline bike counts, partnering on bike education, and considering adaptive right-turn- on-red technology. ATTACHMENT A • PC heard the Arts & Culture Commission’s recommendation on a citywide Art- in-lieu fee policy. The Commission’s final amended motion recommended to city council that they retain the current premium for the in-lieu fee rather than reducing it to one percent, consider establishing a separate art fund to be used solely for creating public art, and proposed that the City Council remain final body on approvals rather than delegate approvals to art and culture commission. • PC appointed a Planning Commission Ad Hoc Subcommittee to study community noticing best practices from other Bay Area cities, with the subcommittee tasked to report back findings and recommendations to the full Commission to enhance community awareness and participation. • PC held a study session on establishing Objective Design Standards (ODS) for new multi-family and residential mixed-use developments. The Planning Commission recommended using ODS to streamline review and enable ministerial approval for qualifying projects, possibly with a point-based or incentive system, incorporating clear layouts, 3D drawings, and detailed guidance on open space, windows, bird-safe features, landscaping, and pedestrian/bike considerations. They advised creating a standalone, centralized document tied to official city policy, including rich explanatory context, reviewing other cities’ frameworks (e.g., Sunnyvale, Palo Alto), ensuring compliance with regulations, maintaining flexibility for planners, exempting remodels, integrating standards into the municipal code or a navigable format, and using ODS to clearly communicate community expectations while balancing design goals with safety and accessibility. The Commission recommended moving forward to produce a draft document for review. • PC held a public hearing for the Toll Brothers United Furniture project. Considerable deliberation occurred on environmental topics. PC finally approved the staff recommendation and recommends council approve this project. The proposed residential development project by Toll Brothers at 19610 Stevens Creek Blvd in Cupertino consists of 55 townhome-condominium units (including 11 affordable units) with multiple density bonus waivers requested; it complies with the General Plan and zoning standards as of early 2024 under SB330, is environmentally exempt, and is recommended for approval despite causing a minor shortfall in moderate-income housing under the City’s current housing element requirements. The project aims to balance urban design, ATTACHMENT A housing needs, and regulatory compliance while addressing community and environmental concerns. PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION • At the September meeting, a representative from the County’s Office of Emergency Management discussed AlertSCC • At the November meeting, staff gave a presentation about outdoor warning sirens • County Sheriff recommends increased caution as many packages are stolen in the holiday season SUSTAINBILITY COMMISSION • Sustainability Commission tabled at Fall Festival and Bike Fest • At the July meeting, the Commission set our priority projects for the next two years • Jack Carter was nominated to represent the Commission on the Economic Development Committee • The Commission received updates on the results of a citywide waste study and on sustainability-related state laws. TEEN COMMISSION • Received a presentation from the Outdoor Recreation Division • Received a presentation from Tino Eco, a youth led organization that raises awareness about the environment. Evaluated and granted a Teen Commission highlight on social media for the organization. • Received a presentation on the Active Transportation Plan TECHNOLOGY, INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION COMMISSION • We organized and hosted a fantastic Cybersecurity Public Awareness Seminar on Thursday, Oct 9th. We had an excellent turnout and received wonderful ATTACHMENT A feedback from attendees about how practical and welcoming the session felt. It truly reflected Cupertino’s leadership in innovation while ensuring our community—from teens to seniors—stays safe online. • TICC is in the process of setting up some AI-powered modernization meetings for Cupertino City with top AI giants such as Google, Microsoft, Open-AI and so on. • TICC is researching next-gen robotics initiatives that can significantly improve City's operations, enhance service efficiency and reduce operating costs.