HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 02-28-2026 (Special Meeting)
APPROVED MINUTES
CUPERTINO CITY COUNCIL
Saturday, February 28, 2026
SPECIAL MEETING
At 9:34 a.m., Mayor Kitty Moore called the Special City Council Meeting to order in the
Creekside Park Building, 10455 Miller Avenue, Cupertino, CA 95014 and via Teleconference.
ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Kitty Moore, Vice Mayor Liang Chao, and Councilmembers J.R. Fruen, Sheila
Mohan, and R “Ray” Wang. Absent: None.
COUNCIL WORKSHOP
1. Subject: City Council Governance and Strategic Planning Workshop.
Recommended Action: Receive and discuss presentation regarding City Council
Governance and Strategic Planning.
Written communications for this item included consultant presentations, Attributes of
Exceptional Councils Article, and A Key Ingredient for Success: An Effective City
Council/City Manager Relationship Article.
Mayor Moore opened the public comment period and the following members of the public
spoke.
Cathy Helgerson
Mayor Moore closed the public comment period.
Consultant Kevin Duggan gave a presentation on Key Strategies for High Functioning City
Councils & Staff.
Councilmembers asked questions and made comments.
City Council Minutes February 28, 2026
Page 2
Council discussed the following workshop themes:
• Relationships and Governance Culture:
Interactions between councilmembers, staff, and commissions affect overall
effectiveness. Teamwork and positive relationships support outcomes and
maintain a strong workplace culture.
• Complexity of the Council Role:
Operating under competing community perspectives, public perception, limited
resources, and the need to function as a team despite not choosing one another.
• Constructive Conflict and Trust:
Disagreement is valuable when focused on ideas but becomes counterproductive
if it turns personal. Mutual trust and respect are essential for collaboration and
effective decision-making.
• Governance Focus:
The need to transition from campaign-oriented behavior to governance-focused
actions, including collaboration, coalition building, problem-solving, and
influencing one another through credibility and engagement.
• Communication and Frameworks:
The Brown Act restricts collective deliberation outside of noticed meetings but
does not prevent appropriate one-on-one dialogue. Governance tools, such as
codes of conduct, are most effective when guiding professional behavior rather
than enforcing discipline.
• Accountability, Public Engagement, and Resilience:
Balancing accountability and collaboration while encouraging improvement
rather than conflict. Noted the impact of public comment and external pressures,
the importance of distinguishing highly active individuals from the broader
community, and the need to maintain focus on governance responsibilities.
Trust-building and resilience in the face of criticism and differing views are
essential to effective public service.
The following items were captured on flip charts by Councilmembers during the
workshop discussion.
From Fellow Council Members
Councilmembers identified the following key needs to support their work together:
• Accessibility for Council meetings
• Honest and constructive dialogue
• Ability to listen and appreciate differing positions
• Avoiding political or personal attacks
• Supporting the Chair and meeting structure
City Council Minutes February 28, 2026
Page 3
• Respect and focus on agenda topics
• Mutual respect for priorities and working styles
• Using prep sessions effectively and asking questions in advance
• Supporting efficient and well-run meetings
• Awareness of Council/Manager form of government
From City Manager/Staff to Get Jobs Done
Councilmembers noted that staff support is most effective when it provides:
• No surprises and respect for Council process
• Accountability and prioritization of residents’ needs
• Responsiveness to the public
• Equal access and fair treatment of all members of the public
• Trust in staff expertise
• Total Quality Management (TQM) to find improvement, not assign blame
• Responsiveness to informational memos
Staff Needs from Council
Councilmembers identified the following supports as important to help staff get the
work done:
• Respect for their time, expertise, and efforts
• Clear understanding of Council direction
• No surprises in requests or decisions
• Appreciation of staff work
• Early submission of questions to allow preparation
Council consented to bring back Kevin Duggan for a follow-up workshop session to
continue the discussion but using a more interactive, scenario-based format.
Mayor Moore recessed the meeting at 11:12 a.m. The meeting reconvened at 11:21 a.m. with all
Councilmembers present.
City Manager Tina Kapoor introduced the item and discussed the development of the
City’s Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan is a high-level governance tool intended to
align Council and staff, provide clarity and shared expectations, and guide how key
City functions operate together, including the budget, Capital Improvement Program
(CIP), and City Work Program.
Consultant Drew Corbett gave a presentation on the City’s Strategic Planning framework.
Council discussion focused on the following:
• City’s strategic planning framework and proposed updates to the City Work
Program (CWP) process
City Council Minutes February 28, 2026
Page 4
• Council-adopted two-year strategic vision framework from March 2025,
including six Council goals and three focus areas guiding the current two-year
work program
• Proposed two-year cycle with milestones, including mid-cycle updates, post-
election priority setting, and alignment with budget development
• Process for modifying the framework with timelines and deliverables
• Alignment of the CWP with the operating budget and five-year Capital
Improvement Program (CIP)
Councilmembers asked questions and made comments, including:
• Limited completion of work program items relative to the total number of items
• How mid-cycle adjustments account for incomplete items
• Whether the current number of items is realistic given available resources
• More structured prioritization framework, including categorization into
essential services, priorities, and lower-priority items
• Potential use AI tools to improve efficiency and decision-making.
• Relationship between the work program and broader operations, noting that the
work program reflects only part of ongoing activities and may not capture all
operational workload or emerging issues
• Need for clearer prioritization, better alignment with operational demands, and
more transparent reporting of completed and ongoing work
Staff will bring refinements to the strategic planning framework back to Council for
further consideration.
ADJOURNMENT
At 12:16 p.m., Mayor Kitty Moore adjourned the Special City Council Meeting.
Minutes prepared by:
____
Kirsten Squarcia, Recording Secretary