HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 09-01-2026 Youtube and Zoom TranscriptYoutube and Zoom Transcript
https://youtu.be/5Nq_-rzWqPc?si=XDn75Ej9zvd7jstH
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Community Hall: Good evening, it is 647. Welcome to the September 1st, 2026 regular meeting of the Cupertino City Council. I call this meeting to order.
200:00:33.100 --> 00:00:36.579Community Hall: If you're able to, please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Community Hall: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
400:00:51.970 --> 00:00:57.370Community Hall: Thank you. Madam City Clerk, will you please call the roll? Oliver Ferwin?
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Community Hall: Here. Councilmember Mohan?
600:01:01.360 --> 00:01:03.549Community Hall: Here. Councilmember Wong?
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Community Hall: Here.
800:01:04.920 --> 00:01:06.949Community Hall: Mayor Moore? Present.
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Community Hall: Great, thank you. Madam City Attorney, do we have any closed session reports?
1000:01:15.290 --> 00:01:32.830Community Hall: We did have two closed sessions to provide report outs for. One was on August 11th, and the item on the agenda was discussed, but there's no reportable action taken. And we also had a closed session this evening, and the item on the agenda was discussed, and again, no reportable action was taken. Thank you.
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Community Hall: Great, thank you very much, and we'll begin with a very special recognition for our ceremonial items. As part of the City's centenarian recognition, I'm pleased to recognize Bertha Smith, who celebrated her 101st birthday in July.
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Community Hall: Reaching 100 years and beyond is an incredible milestone. It represents a lifetime of
experiences, memories, family, friendships, and change.
1300:02:00.940 --> 00:02:14.749Community Hall: On behalf of the Cupertino City Council, happy 101st birthday, Bertha, and congratulations
on this wonderful milestone. And we would like to take a photograph to commemorate this happy occasion.
1400:02:15.040 --> 00:02:16.300Community Hall: Are we allowed to clap?
1500:02:42.740 --> 00:02:43.450Community Hall: Nope.
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00:02:48.010 --> 00:02:49.260Community Hall: I know they don't you…
1700:02:53.450 --> 00:02:54.410Community Hall: Interesting.
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Community Hall: Cheers.
1900:03:14.430 --> 00:03:19.949Community Hall: All right, so we are… we are presenting with a certificate of recognition.
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Community Hall: In celebration of your 100th birthday, it's actually 100 confirms, the City of Cupertino
honors this remarkable milestone in the many years it represents, Meeting the centuries of rare and meaningful achievement.
2100:03:31.940 --> 00:03:34.939Community Hall: But, experiences, memories, moments is something…
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Community Hall: The City congratulates you on a special occasion, and wishes you continue health, happiness, and joy.
2300:03:47.990 --> 00:03:49.379Community Hall: I'll speak to you all.
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Community Hall: It looks so good.
2500:04:00.070 --> 00:04:02.249
Community Hall: Where'd you go?
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Community Hall: 5 miles a month? Dream?
2700:04:12.990 --> 00:04:16.089Community Hall: Thanks.
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Community Hall: Simple kind of comparison.
2900:04:25.910 --> 00:04:28.649Community Hall: Oh, thank you. Thank you. Congratulations.
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Community Hall: Well, great.
3100:04:32.690 --> 00:04:35.340Community Hall: No, I'm actually speaking, just a little bit.
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Community Hall: Okay? Thank you, thank you.
3300:04:44.210 --> 00:04:45.260Community Hall: Stop, please.
3400:04:46.570 --> 00:04:47.260Community Hall: What's next?
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00:04:57.010 --> 00:04:58.539Community Hall: Forgot to bring the microphone.
3600:05:06.630 --> 00:05:07.470Community Hall: It's awesome.
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Community Hall: She's… she's amazing.
3800:05:12.510 --> 00:05:17.530Community Hall: I talked to a country.
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Community Hall: Our next recognition is for National Preparedness Month, which is observed each
September. It's a good reminder that emergencies can happen at any time, and a little preparation can make
a big difference. I encourage everyone to take a few steps to prepare. Make a plan.
4000:05:35.790 --> 00:05:40.149Community Hall: Check your emergency supplies, and know how you'll stay informed.
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00:05:40.220 --> 00:05:56.109Community Hall: Joining us to accept the proclamation is Antonia Bradford from Collaborating Agencies Disaster Relief Effort, or CADRE. Antonia, thank you for being here, and for the work CADRE does to help our community prepare.
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Community Hall: Did you… did you want to say a few words first? And then we'll have a photo. Thank you. I
wrote it down because I'm not really good at public speaking. Thank you, Mayor Moore and council
members. On behalf of CADRE, I'm grateful to accept this proclamation. National Preparedness Month is a
good reminder that readiness is something we build together before disaster strikes, not during it.
4300:06:16.430 --> 00:06:25.829Community Hall: CADRE is proud to bring our 170-plus partner agencies and volunteers that work here in Santa Clara County. Thank you for recognizing it and standing with us.
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Community Hall: Thank you, and please join us on the dais for a photo. Sure thing.
4500:06:54.160 --> 00:06:54.850Community Hall: Oh.
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Community Hall: One more one.
4700:07:10.790 --> 00:07:11.175Community Hall: 2…
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Community Hall: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much, appreciate it. Thank you so much. Oh, thank
you so much.
4900:07:20.180 --> 00:07:22.899Community Hall: Thank you so much. Thank you so much.
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Community Hall: Next, I'd like to recognize September 15th through October 15th as National Hispanic
Heritage Month.
5100:07:46.400 --> 00:07:56.820
Community Hall: This month celebrates the histories, cultures, traditions, and contributions of Hispanic
Americans, and the many ways they've shaped and enriched communities like Cupertino.
5200:07:57.260 --> 00:08:09.999Community Hall: The heritage we celebrate this month is woven into Cupertino's own name. In 1776, the De
Anza Expedition passed through this valley and named the creek we now call Stevens Creek the Arroya
5300:08:10.030 --> 00:08:22.909Community Hall: Arroyo de San Jose de Cupertino. That name, and the college that bears De Anzas, are reminders that Hispanic and Latino history here goes back long before the city itself.
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Community Hall: Today, Hispanic and Latino residents and employees contribute to every part of Cupertino
life. Our schools and businesses.
5500:08:32.539 --> 00:08:50.919Community Hall: our neighborhoods, and faith communities, and I want to especially recognize the many employees sharing Hispanic heritage who proudly serve at every level of our city government. Their dedicated civic stewardship keeps the city running every day, and we are truly grateful for it.
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Community Hall: So, on behalf of the entire City Council, I invite everyone to join in celebrating Hispanic
Heritage Month. Thank you.
5700:09:06.240 --> 00:09:23.049Community Hall: And our final recognition is in honor of IT Professionals Day, observed this year on September 15th. It gives us an opportunity to recognize the City of Cupertino's Innovation and Technology
Department, and the people behind that work.
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00:09:23.290 --> 00:09:38.590Community Hall: Technology is an important part of how this city operates and serves the community each day. From keeping systems running to supporting secure and reliable digital services, our IT professionals make that work possible.
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Community Hall: IT Professionals Day is an opportunity to recognize the skill, knowledge, and dedication
behind this constantly changing field of work.
6000:09:49.100 --> 00:09:56.670Community Hall: And we want to share our support for the entire IT department as you embark on the ERP system upgrade.
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Community Hall: This is a big project, which will have many positive outcomes for our city, and we wish you
well on that endeavor. On behalf of the Cupertino City Council, thank you for the important role you play in keeping Cupertino connected and moving forward, and now the City Manager would like to say a few words.
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00:10:13.860 --> 00:10:21.379Community Hall: Thank you, Mayor and Council, for recognizing departments. I would also like to take a moment to recognize the people behind the work.
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Community Hall: As it relates to the INT department. While much of the work happens behind the scenes,
the impact of this team is visible every day. The Innovation and Technology Department, including our applications, GIS, infrastructure, and multimedia divisions, serve as a foundation that keeps the city services running, supports staff across departments, protects our systems and data, and helps us deliver efficient and accessible
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Community Hall: accessible services to our residents. In addition, as you know, the department's also
helping me with the new AI enablement initiative to help train city staff, as well as implement other artificial
intelligence tools across the organization.
6500:11:00.600 --> 00:11:20.940Community Hall: These efforts are allowing employees to focus more of their time on serving our community, while ensuring the city continues to embrace innovation in a practical and responsible way. As a reminder, technology never rests. During the month of August, while we were taking a council recess, the
team has continued to upgrade the community hall.
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00:11:20.940 --> 00:11:24.349Community Hall: And we do expect a smooth transition tonight.
6700:11:24.350 --> 00:11:41.740Community Hall: I want to thank the entire team for your responsiveness, professionalism, creativity, and
continued support. Your work is truly appreciated, and I would like to now invite, Director Teri Gearhart and
the INT staff that's here tonight to come up and take a photo with Council.
6800:12:05.500 --> 00:12:06.190Community Hall: Did you watch?
6900:12:06.460 --> 00:12:07.190
Community Hall: Fair.
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00:12:22.590 --> 00:12:26.850Community Hall: Make sure you're in.
7100:12:34.050 --> 00:12:51.480Community Hall: Thank you.
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Community Hall: Okay, and last but not least, happy birthday to Councilmember Fruen today!
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Community Hall: Thank you.
7400:13:12.970 --> 00:13:19.269Community Hall: And Mayor and Council and members of the public, I just wanted to note that Vice Mayor
Chao has, joined.
7500:13:21.300 --> 00:13:37.979Community Hall: Very good. Our next item is postponements and orders of the day, and I do want to make a motion that we move to table item 11 indefinitely, as it has been signed into law. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you.
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Community Hall: Do we have any, discussion on this item? Okay.
7700:13:42.710 --> 00:13:47.859Community Hall: All right, Madam City Clerk, will you please set the voting panel and conduct the vote?
7800:13:53.550 --> 00:13:59.520
Community Hall: Sorry, I need to cancel this, because I… it had previous… Movers.
7900:14:06.460 --> 00:14:08.160Community Hall: Okay. Should we be ready?
8000:14:14.340 --> 00:14:17.460Community Hall: Vice Mayor? Vice Mayor?
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00:14:21.280 --> 00:14:26.890Community Hall: Looks like… The motion hears unanimously. All right, thank you.
8200:14:27.930 --> 00:14:34.170Community Hall: Our next item is our consent calendar. Madam City Clerk, have any items been pulled off of consent?
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00:14:34.670 --> 00:14:38.909Community Hall: Do any council members wish to pull an item off of consent at this time?
8400:14:43.480 --> 00:14:51.130Community Hall: Nothing? Okay, Madam City Clerk, do we have members of the public who would like to speak to the consent items at this time?
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00:14:56.780 --> 00:15:02.560Community Hall: Mayor, I do have one request to speak in person. This speaker card does not have a name.
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Community Hall: For item number 11? So we postponed item 11 indefinitely.
8700:15:10.410 --> 00:15:17.510Community Hall: Because it's already been signed into law. That's… that's right, and Mayor, we… we need to
go to oral communications first.
8800:15:17.860 --> 00:15:21.210Community Hall: Oh, before consent. Oh, look, I…
8900:15:21.650 --> 00:15:27.579Community Hall: It was a long break. Thank you. Thank you to Deputy City Manager.
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00:15:28.220 --> 00:15:36.700Community Hall: Okay, so our next item is oral communications. Do we have any speaker cards, Madam City Clerk?
9100:15:39.170 --> 00:15:43.310Community Hall: Yes, Mayor, we have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
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00:15:44.170 --> 00:15:50.000Community Hall: 6 requests to speak in person, and at this time, I have one request to speak virtually.
9300:15:50.910 --> 00:16:00.770Community Hall: And, I will read the instructions. This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the Council on any matter within the jurisdiction of the Council.
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00:16:00.770 --> 00:16:25.689Community Hall: and not on an agenda for discussion, oral communication shall be limited to 30 minutes. Additional speakers wishing to comment on non-agenda items may be given time to speak at the end of the agenda after the City Manager's report. Individual speakers are limited to 3 minutes. As necessary, the chair may further limit the time allowed to individual speakers, or reschedule remaining comments to the end of the meeting on a first-come, first-heard basis, with priority given to
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Community Hall: students. In most cases, state law will prohibit the council from discussing or making any
decisions with respect to a matter not listed on the agenda. A council member may, however, briefly respond to statements made or questions posed by speakers.
9600:16:39.020 --> 00:16:54.290Community Hall: A council member may also ask a question for clarification, provide a reference for factual
information, request staff to report back concerning a matter, or request that an item be added to a future
City Council agenda in response to public comment. And as a reminder, members of the public wishing to
speak
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Community Hall: Under oral communications, shall submit a request to speak or raise their hand virtually
within the first 9 minutes of the start of public comment, or before public comment is closed, whichever comes first.
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Community Hall: This time, we will go ahead and welcome Pamela Hershey, followed by Peggy Griffin,
followed by Ivy Zan. Welcome, Pamela.
9900:17:18.910 --> 00:17:21.729Community Hall: Thank you. Thank you, Mayor Moore.
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Community Hall: council members, city staff, may I have the overhead projector working? Do I just lay it on
top here? Okay. Yes. My name is Pamela Hershey. As you know, I've been a long-time resident of Cupertino.
Lived here as a teenager with my parents, and moved here with my children.
10100:17:37.490 --> 00:17:53.310Community Hall: Tonight I'm talking about our elections this year, our campaign elections. I have a very busy life, a stressful life, because I have some ill grandchildren. I take my time to go out in the evening and on the weekends to put signs up for candidates that I'm
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00:17:53.590 --> 00:17:55.630Community Hall: I'm sponsoring.
10300:17:55.760 --> 00:18:02.060Community Hall: But, unfortunately, we get people that go out in the evening, or whenever, I guess it's evening, because it's dark.
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00:18:03.810 --> 00:18:16.630Community Hall: From the opposition. Pictures of them stealing signs. And this is just one house. Many are stolen. We go back and put them out. My husband's going back and replacing them now. It's not right. It's very disrespectful. These women…
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Community Hall: Louisian.
10600:18:19.890 --> 00:18:31.069Community Hall: San Jana, I'm sorry if I spelled… pronounced their names incorrectly, are on an organization called Cupertino for All, which was founded by J.R. Frueland. So if this is happening.
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Community Hall: from them, they should be accountable. They play leadership roles in Cupertino for All, and
they're out stealing signs. These are pictures very, very clear of them from houses that have given these to
us.
10800:18:43.460 --> 00:18:51.650
Community Hall: I've not seen them personally steal signs, because… but I know they're out there, and
we're replacing them. It costs money, and it takes our time.
10900:18:51.650 --> 00:19:12.710Community Hall: I spent my day today with my ill granddaughter, and I really am limited, and now I have to
go back out and replace it. It costs money to the candidates, it's very disrespectful, and I hope that these
women are going to be accountable, and whoever else is taking the signs from our candidates. Just be fair,
I've never touched one of their signs, I see them, I've never touched one.
11000:19:12.710 --> 00:19:17.859Community Hall: And I never plan on touching one. We have high school students going out on their bikes.
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Community Hall: This is a picture of the video, but I won't show the video. You know, he's a Monta Vista
student.
11200:19:23.050 --> 00:19:33.989Community Hall: rode his bike right up, took the signs down, threw them on the ground, and took his bike and rode over them. That's disrespectful. I'm sorry. I don't know why he would do that, unless he was told.
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Community Hall: We have people coming in and just putting signs on top of our signs.
11400:19:38.150 --> 00:19:39.910Community Hall: So, I really hope that
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Community Hall: that the City Council can address this issue, because it's really becoming quite a problem.
11600:19:45.900 --> 00:19:47.209Community Hall: Thank you very much.
11700:19:49.640 --> 00:19:57.020
Community Hall: Thank you, Pamela. Next, we will welcome Peggy Griffin, followed by Ivy Zan, followed by
Sam Leder. Welcome, Peggy.
11800:20:00.910 --> 00:20:04.989Community Hall: Good evening, Mayor Moore, Vice Mayor Chao, Council Members and Staff.
11900:20:05.190 --> 00:20:11.920
Community Hall: I'm… I'm Peggy Griffin, and I'm speaking on behalf of Rhoda Frye, who's unable to attend
tonight.
12000:20:12.740 --> 00:20:25.520Community Hall: Dear City Manager and City Council, she sent this in. A campaign sign for Councilmember
Fruen, Planning Commissioner Linskog, and former San Jose Water employee Tang.
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Community Hall: Was placed illegally on my property, in my yard, on my landscaping, not on the other side of the sidewalk strip.
12200:20:34.010 --> 00:20:36.820Community Hall: Which is also not allowed without permission.
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Community Hall: It is even more worrisome that this is coming from a council member who claims to be a lawyer, and is employed by the City of San Jose as staff to a council member, and similarly, from a planning commissioner. Both ought to know better.
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Community Hall: Additionally, the Fantasy campaign also placed a sign at my neighbor's property without
permission, and I was able to notify the candidate that this was not allowed.
12500:21:03.950 --> 00:21:17.369Community Hall: Please educate the campaigns on the rules. I have lived in Cupertino for over 40 years, and have never witnessed this level of law-breaking and disrespect for residents. Regards wrote a fry.
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Community Hall: The following are my words, not Rhoda's.
12700:21:20.800 --> 00:21:32.870Community Hall: California election law requires that candidates running for City Council who collect or spend $2,000 or more must create a candidate-controlled committee.
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Community Hall: This is a political committee that is established and managed by the candidate running for
city council. It is formed by the candidate themselves.
12900:21:44.060 --> 00:21:54.560Community Hall: The candidate has direct control over the committee's activities and decisions. This means the buck starts and stops with the candidate.
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Community Hall: You, JR Fruen, Seema Linscock, John Tang, and Mark Fantozzi are ultimately responsible
for actions done either by you or your volunteers.
13100:22:06.010 --> 00:22:09.180Community Hall: I am asking you to stop your volunteers.
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Community Hall: Stop placing signs without permission. Stop harassing residents who are supporting other
candidates. If you are allowing this to happen to residents who oppose you.
13300:22:21.650 --> 00:22:25.509Community Hall: What will you do if you are elected and gain power?
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00:22:25.660 --> 00:22:27.099Community Hall: It doesn't look good.
13500:22:27.680 --> 00:22:37.039Community Hall: Tell your volunteers to stop and take your signs away from them, or take your signs away from them. Don't feed their lawlessness. Thank you.
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00:22:39.790 --> 00:22:47.420Community Hall: Thank you, Peggy. Next, we will welcome Ivy Zan, followed by Sam Leder, followed by Minna. Welcome, Ivy.
13700:22:47.660 --> 00:23:11.220Community Hall: Good evening, members of the City Council. My name is Ivy Dan, a student at Lindbrecht
High School and the creator of Waterlytics. So, California continues to face severe water conservation and
climate resilience challenges. Traditional irrigation systems rely on fixed timers that can't respond to
changing environmental conditions, leading to overwatering, sidewalk runoff, and resource waste.
13800:23:11.290 --> 00:23:18.680Community Hall: In fact, landscape irrigation accounts for nearly 50% of annual residential water consumption across California.
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Community Hall: So, to understand how this impacts our local community, I conducted a survey of over 150
residents across Santa Clara County, including right here in Cupertino. The results were clear. Over 80% of respondents expressed serious concern regarding California's drought conditions, more than 90% have personally witnessed overspray onto sidewalks and unnecessary watering, and nearly 100% of residents surveyed
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Community Hall: supported the idea of Santa Clara County and local municipalities exploring intelligent
irrigation pilot programs in public spaces.
14100:23:51.850 --> 00:24:09.610Community Hall: In response, I developed Waterlytics, an intelligent distributed irrigation system designed to eliminate water waste through real-time data analysis. Unlike traditional sprinklers, Waterlytics uses multimodal environmental sensors to measure soil moisture, temperature, humidity, and weather forecasting.
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00:24:09.690 --> 00:24:17.949Community Hall: This system communicates wirelessly to coordinate watering across multiple zones, adjusting spray amounts and timing to prevent overwatering.
14300:24:17.950 --> 00:24:40.120Community Hall: Looking ahead, the system is designed to integrate computer vision to target specific grassy areas while completely avoiding sidewalks and hardscapes. I'm proposing a pilot program to evaluate water lytics within local parks, community gardens, or public facilities. This initiative offers key benefits. One, direct
water conservation and lower municipal water costs.
14400:24:40.120 --> 00:24:45.789Community Hall: Two, alignment with the Cupertino and Santa Clara County's Climate Resilience and smart city goals.
14500:24:45.790 --> 00:25:02.820
Community Hall: And three, a tangible bridge for STEM education, demonstrating how local youth can use AI
and engineering to solve pressing environmental challenges. I've submitted my full proposal and executive
summary to the record for your review. Thank you for your time and for supporting student innovation and
sustainable technology.
14600:25:04.080 --> 00:25:05.460Community Hall: Thank you, Ivy.
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Community Hall: Next, we will welcome Sam… Sam Leder, followed by Minna.
14800:25:09.680 --> 00:25:17.510Community Hall: And the next in line, I don't have a name, but wants to discuss AB1924. So, at this time, we will welcome Sam.
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Community Hall: Good evening, City Council. I hope you all had a relaxing August break. I'm Sam, a current
high schooler at the Nueva School in San Mateo, and a resident of Cupertino.
15000:25:27.580 --> 00:25:42.009Community Hall: Over the summer, I conducted a study investigating whether new traffic was coming from housing projects in Cupertino. After spending several weeks compiling a dataset and running calculations, I
found the opposite. Cupertino's new housing projects were expected to decrease traffic.
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00:25:42.280 --> 00:26:01.820Community Hall: The reason is that many of Cupertino's larger townhome projects are replacing existing retail and office space, such as Voyager Coffee or Stevens Creek Office Center, which attract more traffic per day than a 50-unit townhome. When these commercial or office centers are replaced, customers and workers no longer
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Community Hall: have any reason to come to these locations. For visitors, they may never enter the city at
all, and residents exit Cupertino to work or go shopping. In other words, the traffic goes elsewhere.
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Community Hall: It is true that these housing developments that replace former commercial and office sites will generate some traffic from the people living there. However, I have found that the traffic from these townhome projects is generally much less than the existing traffic from these commercial properties.
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Community Hall: Now, the concern about the city's declining retail and sales tax revenue base is a separate
issue that has been expressed to this council repeatedly, as new housing projects are replacing existing commercial areas.
15500:26:39.850 --> 00:26:51.310Community Hall: Many studies have suggested that building new housing near existing retail can actually increase retail's desirability by providing a consistent stream of foot traffic while decreasing cars on the road.
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00:26:51.480 --> 00:27:01.559Community Hall: To achieve this outcome, though, the city would have to embrace a genuinely proactive planning strategy and abandon its current method of scattershot upzoning to meet RENA's requirements.
15700:27:01.730 --> 00:27:21.299Community Hall: This will also mean having to build in areas closer in proximity to single-family homes. If
preserving retail is a priority for Cupertino, then trying to protect Cupertino's suburban feel by only upzoning
areas along major corridors will inevitably cause these retail sites to be redeveloped, as the only retail in
Cupertino are along those major corridors.
15800:27:21.630 --> 00:27:32.989Community Hall: Ultimately, though, as long as the City of Cupertino continues its current upzoning strategy, we will continue to see less and less retail and office space, and the unintended consequences of less traffic, too.
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Community Hall: Hopefully, my work can help our residents and leaders reconsider what they believe are the negative effects of new housing projects, especially with the upcoming election. And I urge you all to go look at my written communications and read the study. Thank you so much for your time.
16000:27:48.940 --> 00:27:50.079
Community Hall: Thank you, Sam.
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00:27:50.650 --> 00:27:52.710Community Hall: Next, we will welcome Mina.
16200:27:56.620 --> 00:28:19.709Community Hall: Oh, hello, my name is Mina Xui. I'm a Cupertino resident for 15 years, and I come here to
speak, just represent myself. And today, I just want to report something I have never seen in past 15 years.
There are so many unauthorized political signs this year. The first story, I have a neighbor, he has no
political science.
16300:28:19.710 --> 00:28:28.159
Community Hall: for his family. So in the last 15 years, I respect him, and I never planted our political side
on his yard.
16400:28:28.160 --> 00:28:30.450Community Hall: But this year, I just keep seeing
165
00:28:30.450 --> 00:28:37.850Community Hall: some political sign pop up, disappear, pop up, disappear. And one day, I noticed there were more than 10.
16600:28:38.070 --> 00:28:50.200Community Hall: political signs around his house. I just asked him, why, hey, did you change your rule? Why
you authorized those signs? He said, no, no, no, I already dumped them several times, but they just keep
popping up.
16700:28:50.380 --> 00:28:51.410Community Hall: So…
16800:28:51.500 --> 00:29:01.590
Community Hall: I think in the last 15 years, I know to respect my neighbor. It looks like someone's content
team, they just don't know to respect local residents.
16900:29:01.650 --> 00:29:25.489Community Hall: And the second story is about India lady. She already said yes to Tracy and the torch yard sign, and I plan to give her Gopal's yard sign, but when I arrived at her house, I saw another 7-yard sign, so crowded in her front yard, so there's no place for Galpo. And I asked her, did you change your mind to support the other candidate? She said, no, no, no.
170
00:29:25.510 --> 00:29:40.040
Community Hall: They just come here, and I heard one of them already on council. See, I'm only a resident, but they are official. I don't want to offer them an official. I want to be a good resident. I want a peaceful life.
17100:29:40.060 --> 00:29:41.270
Community Hall: So I see…
172
00:29:41.270 --> 00:30:04.909Community Hall: It's just they use some official title to intimidate the… and bullying local residents, because most Asian people, they believe the official is more superior than local residents, because in Asian country, maybe those people have a lot of power, but they don't know, in the US, everyone should be equal. And the third story is about a Korean lady. I just saw her train the branch near
173
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Community Hall: yard, and she was so carefully working around some political yard signs. I just saw him, I
just asked her, do you support them so you are so careful? She said, no, I don't know, what are these? But you see, Cupertino City on the sun. I believe city planted those signs.
174
00:30:21.610 --> 00:30:29.400Community Hall: And I said, hey, this is your private property, even our city, they cannot do anything without any permission.
175
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Community Hall: So…
17600:30:30.560 --> 00:30:49.139Community Hall: those people, I think for Asian people, they don't… they are not clear about the rules, so they just was taken advantage of, and such action ruined our city's reputation, because residents just think our city abused its power to put things on their yard without any notice.
177
00:30:49.250 --> 00:30:57.719
Community Hall: So, I'm really sorry to see such things happened in our city there. I really hope those candidates, they can do something.
17800:30:58.460 --> 00:30:59.980Community Hall: Huh, for sure.
179
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Community Hall: Yeah, they see.
18000:31:02.540 --> 00:31:03.940Community Hall: Thank you, Manna.
181
00:31:06.890 --> 00:31:15.839
Community Hall: Our next, speaker does not have a name on this request to Speak card, wants to discuss,
AB1924.
18200:31:23.100 --> 00:31:42.689Community Hall: Good evening, Mayor Moore and Council Members. My name is Ud Ghosh. I'm a student at Homestead High School, and I'm also representing Sunnyvale's Youth Public Policy Institute. I'm also here with Caleb in the corner there, so… and I'm here to ask the City of Cupertino to take action in supporting,
AB924.
18300:31:42.690 --> 00:31:50.609Community Hall: AB 1924 would create a statewide strategy focused on preventing homelessness before people lose their housing.
18400:31:50.830 --> 00:31:57.379
Community Hall: The bill has already passed both houses of the California legislature, and is now awaiting
action from Governor Newsom.
18500:31:57.600 --> 00:32:03.469Community Hall: The legislature's strong support shows that there is broad agreement on the need for
homelessness prevention.
186
00:32:03.630 --> 00:32:06.919
Community Hall: But the bill still needs the governor's signature to become law.
18700:32:07.310 --> 00:32:13.429Community Hall: Cupertino's voice matters because cities are on the front lines of housing instability and homelessness.
188
00:32:13.650 --> 00:32:20.840
Community Hall: And local governments are directly affected by whether the state invests in prevention before people reach a crisis.
18900:32:21.380 --> 00:32:33.679Community Hall: We are asking the City Council to direct staff to immediately review the AB1924 bill and
send an official City of Cupertino request for signature letter urging Governor Newsom to sign the bill.
190
00:32:34.050 --> 00:32:39.599Community Hall: We also ask that the city communicate its support through its state legislative advocacy team.
19100:32:40.130 --> 00:32:58.299
Community Hall: Cupertino has already identified homelessness and displacement as issues worth addressing
through state legislation, and supporting AB 1924 gives the city an opportunity to act on that priority and
add a local government voice to the statewide consensus while the governor is still considering the bill.
19200:32:58.420 --> 00:32:59.260Community Hall: Thank you.
193
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Community Hall: Thank you, Advait. Next we will welcome Vijay, followed by Jay-Z Wang.
19400:33:17.470 --> 00:33:19.879Community Hall: Good evening, Cupertino City Council.
19500:33:20.160 --> 00:33:35.740
Community Hall: My name is Vijay Samal. My family's lived in Cupertino for 40 years. Me and my siblings
have graduated from Monta Vista High School. I worked at Deep Cliff Golf Course for many years, and then
also helped with Evan Lowe and Assemblymember Paul Fong during my time in high school.
19600:33:36.160 --> 00:33:40.349Community Hall: I wanted to bring this council's attention to flock cameras in Cupertino.
197
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Community Hall: Of course, there's been recent news on the misuse of flock cameras and the invasion of
privacy that these cause.
19800:33:48.210 --> 00:33:53.080Community Hall: I want to bring one camera to your attention, for this council.
199
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Community Hall: If this works.
20000:33:57.350 --> 00:34:05.810Community Hall: These cameras are allowed to be in areas of law enforcement agencies, business properties, or HOAs.
201
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Community Hall: There's one on my parents' street in Mira Vista Road, that is on a residential property, which is this one here.
20200:34:14.120 --> 00:34:16.849Community Hall: And this is an image of said camera.
203
00:34:17.110 --> 00:34:22.210
Community Hall: Which is not supposed to be, and this property is none of those allowed properties.
20400:34:24.880 --> 00:34:38.800Community Hall: And I want… of course, I have a larger statement, which I would love this Council to think about flock cameras and Cupertino at large, but I would love this particular camera to be investigated and considered, for its possible removal.
205
00:34:39.560 --> 00:34:40.530Community Hall: Thank you.
20600:34:44.219 --> 00:34:47.930Community Hall: Thank you, Vijay. Next, we will welcome, Jay-Z Wang.
207
00:34:52.280 --> 00:35:04.999
Community Hall: Hello, councils and the residents, and over the years, we have agreed or disagree, but just like every residents, I also come here many times, everyone see me as suggesting how to fix a com…
20800:35:05.040 --> 00:35:22.380Community Hall: city budgets, and the transportation, and better communication. And I'm here today to try to present in the picture, when in the morning, when we see the small business open the door, and the
children play in the park, and neighbors say hi to each other, and this is the community
20900:35:22.560 --> 00:35:33.789Community Hall: the good community we want, but doesn't build accidentally, and it's the community involvement. So, the reason I'm here is because… and I believe
21000:35:33.900 --> 00:35:49.809Community Hall: the community… the community doesn't happen just by the day, and we need a lot of community input, and and that's the community I like, and that's the community I want to be leadership with, and I'm also official council member candidates right now.
211
00:35:49.910 --> 00:35:57.219Community Hall: And, I'm not the person, like, behind the desk, and I want to listen to the people, what they say, and have a common ground.
21200:35:57.430 --> 00:35:58.610Community Hall: And,
213
00:35:58.640 --> 00:36:17.490Community Hall: And if, like, in the communities, we have different background people, like the ones who want to solve the transportation, the older people want to have transportation, and the young people want the housing and a better career, and family want to strive, and the business want to grow, and they have the concern about code and the cost.
214
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Community Hall: And that means we need to be divided, even… even everyone have different opinions. Hold
on. Please, please hold time for a second. I have a question for the city attorney. So there was a mention, in
this, in this statement about there, being a candidate. Does that, then…
21500:36:35.240 --> 00:36:57.399Community Hall: qualify as campaigning inside of city buildings. I just want to double check that before the individual continues. It is true that the city's rules do prevent campaigning during public comment, and so I
ask that the speaker be very aware of that and provide your comments, but please do not involve
216
00:36:57.400 --> 00:36:58.729Community Hall: in any campaigning.
21700:36:58.880 --> 00:37:14.009Community Hall: All right, so yeah, basically just… just mentioning, and that, you know, community
involvement is very important in the city, not just about building the roads and the houses and everything
else. And about to comment about the campaign, actually, one of the things, I think.
21800:37:14.010 --> 00:37:24.789Community Hall: the city can do is reduce the magnitude and how much needed campaign to… for anybody, try to be a candidate. And another thing is about the massive,
219
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Community Hall: But a lot of people like to solve the homeless, or whatever the transplant apartment is. And
a lot of basic things we didn't see is a lot of, actually, building, doesn't matter, commercial and residential
apartments. Actually, quite a bit vacant. So that's another thing I think the city, or any future candidates, should try to look into this, and instead of thinking about just keep building, and to…
220
00:37:44.830 --> 00:37:59.340Community Hall: fit to what the public comment is, because they don't see a lot of behind it as well, similar, like, to the issue I'm talking about, and a lot of stuff which we can utilize it, and that will actually, solve a lot of city issues as well. And for that, I turn the meeting back to you. Thank you.
221
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Community Hall: Thank you, Jay-Z Wang.
22200:38:05.990 --> 00:38:18.060Community Hall: And, Mayor, that, finishes the request to speak here in person in Community Hall, and I do have two hands raised virtually, so at this time, we will go ahead and welcome Muni Manipatla. Welcome, Muni.
223
00:38:21.220 --> 00:38:31.530Muni Madhdhipatla: Good evening, Mayor Moore and City Council members. My name is Muni Madhipatla. I'm a long-time Cupertino resident and a member of Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission.
22400:38:31.720 --> 00:38:35.700Muni Madhdhipatla: I'm speaking tonight in my personal capacity as a resident.
225
00:38:35.880 --> 00:38:44.730Muni Madhdhipatla: In the upcoming elections, I support the residents' first slate of Gopal Kumarapan, Santosh Rao, and Tracy Kosolchar.
22600:38:44.730 --> 00:39:02.380Community Hall: Pardon, City Attorney, is this… this seems like I'm having a repeat of the previous
comment. That's true, and that did seem to be very clearly campaigning, which is not allowed during public
comment, so I asked the speaker to refrain from doing so, otherwise we'll have to end your public comment.
22700:39:02.610 --> 00:39:05.089Muni Madhdhipatla: Okay, I'll stick… come to the point.
22800:39:05.200 --> 00:39:07.290
Muni Madhdhipatla: Many of my sub…
22900:39:07.400 --> 00:39:13.350Muni Madhdhipatla: neighbors support, you know, the candidates that I support. Recently, a named leader of a local MB group
23000:39:13.660 --> 00:39:18.019
Muni Madhdhipatla: called Cupertino for All, founded by current council member J.R. Fruhan, went door.
23100:39:18.020 --> 00:39:28.599Community Hall: Excuse me, excuse me? This is moving in the direction, continuing in the direction of campaigning, and so, I do think that we should close this comment.
23200:39:30.350 --> 00:39:35.620Community Hall: Oh, wait, complaining about sign being stealed is property theft.
233
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Muni Madhdhipatla: Yes.
23400:39:37.030 --> 00:39:53.599Community Hall: I believe that Cairo's misdemeanor and the fine. It definitely is a misdemeanor, that's true. I'm sorry, I misheard. I thought that I heard the speaker, campaigning for a candidate at that time. Not campaigning for a candidate. He was complaining about sign stealing.
235
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Community Hall: Okay, very well, thank you. I heard it as the city attorney heard it, though.
23600:39:58.370 --> 00:39:59.160Community Hall: Okay.
237
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Community Hall: Can you continue? Would you, can you please continue your time? Okay. Refrain from
campaigning. Thank you.
23800:40:06.820 --> 00:40:08.120Muni Madhdhipatla: No. So…
239
00:40:09.430 --> 00:40:29.450
Muni Madhdhipatla: there's a person going around and trying to remove the signs of, you know, the
candidates, and none of my neighbors, you know, agreed to remove the signs. Later that week, a city council candidate called Mark Fantosi came to my home, asked if he could install one of his signs at my yard. I politely declined, explaining who I support.
24000:40:29.450 --> 00:40:46.129Muni Madhdhipatla: Afterwards, several of my neighbors told me that Mark had approached them and
indicated that I supported his campaign. I was not present in those conversations, so I cannot speak to
exactly what happened, but I want to make my question very clear. I do not support any other candidates
other than.
24100:40:46.130 --> 00:40:49.710Community Hall: No, no, no, no.
242
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Muni Madhdhipatla: I ask.
24300:40:50.810 --> 00:40:56.710Community Hall: No, I'm sorry, that's campaigning again.
24400:40:56.940 --> 00:40:58.220Community Hall: Please wrap up.
245
00:40:58.820 --> 00:41:03.579
Community Hall: I think he's trying to make a point that… No, I'm sorry, you don't have the floor. Please
wrap up.
24600:41:06.160 --> 00:41:08.160Muni Madhdhipatla: Okay, I'm done. Thank you.
247
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Community Hall: Thank you.
24800:41:11.300 --> 00:41:26.430Community Hall: Madam City Attorney, would you like to make a statement on this? Because I have a feeling this is the start of these kinds of efforts, and we didn't… we haven't in the past had this,
249
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Community Hall: effort attempted,
25000:41:29.670 --> 00:41:47.960Community Hall: And I'd also like to hear a statement if the city manager would like to talk about what the rules are with regards to the signs as well, because there seems to be a lot of confusion and a lot of activity going on that we're just hearing about.
251
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Community Hall: So, as I've mentioned, the public comment period, based upon the City's rules and regulations, is that we do not allow campaigning during public comment. It's not within the jurisdiction of the city, and it's not appropriate for public comment. I'll leave it at that.
25200:42:10.980 --> 00:42:28.969Community Hall: Mayor, the only thing I would add is for oral communication, members of the public are
entitled to express their opinions. However, it should be noted that the city policy, you know, if someone's
requesting information from the city, the city would typically only,
25300:42:28.970 --> 00:42:45.189Community Hall: take action if there was any violation of the sign ordinance or the Muni code. The city has offered guidelines to all candidates, and they're also available on our website, so if there's questions, we're happy to direct people to, those resources.
254
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Community Hall: All right, thank you. Madam City Clerk, do we have any further, comments for oral
communication? Mayor, I have the request after all the comments.
255
00:42:55.000 --> 00:42:55.720
Community Hall: Okay.
25600:42:56.220 --> 00:43:01.610Community Hall: Yes, Mayor, we have one other hand raised. Please welcome Jennifer Griffin.
257
00:43:04.120 --> 00:43:06.770Jennifer Griffin: Hi, can you all hear me okay?
25800:43:06.970 --> 00:43:07.910Community Hall: We can hear you.
259
00:43:08.130 --> 00:43:14.350
Jennifer Griffin: Yes, thank you. Welcome back, everyone. Hope you had a nice vacation.
26000:43:14.760 --> 00:43:24.270Jennifer Griffin: I, just wanted to… I had two things I wanted to talk about, I,
261
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Jennifer Griffin: I'll just… I'll just start off with it, just to comment that
26200:43:28.860 --> 00:43:36.900Jennifer Griffin: RENA is not correct. It is statistically incorrect. It has been shown multiple times.
263
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Jennifer Griffin: by, people with lots of statistical background, that every city in California was given the
incorrect amount of RENA, and that it is just… it's voodoo magic, basically. On to my second one.
26400:43:51.780 --> 00:43:59.910Jennifer Griffin: I… my husband and I drove over to Santa Cruz yesterday, to visit my mother, who's been having some health challenges.
265
00:44:00.270 --> 00:44:04.760
Jennifer Griffin: We encountered 3 separate accidents.
26600:44:04.930 --> 00:44:11.249Jennifer Griffin: on Highway 17 and Highway 1. It delayed us close to half an hour.
267
00:44:11.440 --> 00:44:19.640
Jennifer Griffin: The first accident on Highway 17 was as you're coming. We were southbound, rising up.
26800:44:19.860 --> 00:44:22.460Jennifer Griffin: Close to just past Lexington.
269
00:44:23.250 --> 00:44:32.890Jennifer Griffin: We got to the point where there was a multiple car accident. The lane was closed. It happened.
270
00:44:33.120 --> 00:44:40.310
Jennifer Griffin: And we had to pull over into the embankment to let Two fire trucks.
27100:44:40.810 --> 00:44:47.730Jennifer Griffin: Very, very large fire trucks, an ambulance, a… Oh.
272
00:44:47.870 --> 00:44:50.299
Jennifer Griffin: police vehicle, SUV.
27300:44:50.450 --> 00:44:53.080Jennifer Griffin: go past us. Now, I will…
27400:44:53.190 --> 00:45:01.830
Jennifer Griffin: Compliment the very brave people who work to keep lives going in the fire department and
the
27500:45:02.120 --> 00:45:13.619Jennifer Griffin: Police department, sheriff's department, highway patrol. They know what happens on that road. But we had to… one of the firemen actually had to get out of the truck
276
00:45:13.900 --> 00:45:30.970
Jennifer Griffin: and direct traffic… I mean, we had pulled over as far as we could, but we're into a bank
that's falling down. And the poor lady next to me was blocking the fire truck access. This is how bad that
road is getting. They need to get
27700:45:31.420 --> 00:45:40.729Jennifer Griffin: Emergency vehicles up there, but that road is incapable of handling the volume of traffic that is going over it.
278
00:45:40.930 --> 00:45:53.690
Jennifer Griffin: So, that was successfully rendered. We were… it was 20 minutes, we were stopped. Then we got down onto the other side of the hill. There was another accident which backed up traffic.
27900:45:54.080 --> 00:45:59.529Jennifer Griffin: When we were coming back, Highway 1 had a massive accident on it.
280
00:45:59.790 --> 00:46:11.589
Jennifer Griffin: just before turning north… to go northbound on Highway 17. That road needs to have immediate upgrades for everyone's safety. Thank you.
281
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Community Hall: Thank you, Jennifer. Mayor, that concludes the request to speak under the oral communications. Okay, thank you.
282
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Community Hall: you know, I do want to mention that I have noticed a lot of improperly placed signs, having
had to
28300:46:25.220 --> 00:46:29.160Community Hall: Know the campaign sign ordinance,
284
00:46:29.410 --> 00:46:48.120
Community Hall: So if you aren't aware of the sign ordinance, you are setting individuals up where they're
going to be using Cupertino 311, or emailing the city, and this wastes tax dollars and staff time. So it has an
impact on the wider community.
28500:46:48.120 --> 00:47:13.090Community Hall: It would be my preference, of course, that everyone is following the sign ordinance, getting permission, and then if you're placing signs in the wrong locations, that you go out and fix that, and be very responsible for it. And as to the allegations of individuals damaging signs, that is governed by state law as
well.
28600:47:13.090 --> 00:47:22.810Community Hall: So you don't want to go out and take and mutilate people's campaign signs. There are regulations which follow that. Vice Mayor, you wanted to speak on this item?
28700:47:23.490 --> 00:47:35.959
Community Hall: a request to the city staff. As we have heard, residents are very confused. The people who
need to hear the message from the mayor likely is not here, they are out there.
28800:47:36.280 --> 00:47:49.950Community Hall: stealing signs, probably. And then, I think the most important thing is residents are not aware these are not city signs. They have a right to remove them, and… but some people don't know they…
289
00:47:50.430 --> 00:47:54.880
Community Hall: They are trimming trees around them. They are afraid to remove them.
29000:47:54.950 --> 00:48:02.030Community Hall: So I think we need to send a message to all the residents, not just the candidates.
29100:48:02.030 --> 00:48:16.669
Community Hall: So that they know science dealing is a misdemeanor that's subject to fines. I think many
people who are committing that probably don't know that either, so I think the city has a responsibility to
inform them.
29200:48:16.970 --> 00:48:25.060
Community Hall: And… And then reference the signed ordinance so that more people are aware where to
look up this information.
29300:48:25.320 --> 00:48:33.740Community Hall: And also, I have a question for City Attorney. What's the responsibility of candidates for
their campaign volunteers?
29400:48:37.200 --> 00:48:55.029Community Hall: You know, that's a good question. I would have to look into that. Certainly, if somebody is removing a sign, from private property, that person, is stealing the sign, and that would be a sign. That's not trespassing.
295
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Community Hall: Possibly, but I don't know if that would be attributable to the candidate. I'm not sure.
29600:49:01.690 --> 00:49:17.240Community Hall: But then that person placing an authorized sign is trespassing on someone's property. Okay, this seems like too much of a back and forth, but you certainly… you can ask for an informational item on this…
297
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Community Hall: on this issue, and I think moving forward, we do have,
29800:49:22.350 --> 00:49:30.530Community Hall: coming up, a TBD item to address the signs in general, and we have some ideas on how to,
299
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Community Hall: make… make it a little bit, easier for people and, try to avoid some of the issues that we're
seeing, in particular, this year, correct?
30000:49:43.090 --> 00:50:01.259Community Hall: Mayor, yes, I think we should talk about that. It used to be a work program item as well in the past, and if there is an interest to make this process easier every couple years, then that's something that we should take on and talk about that. I do want to address quickly, Vice Mayor, your question. So we
did
301
00:50:01.260 --> 00:50:14.719Community Hall: issue these guidelines and the laws and rules around signage, political signs specifically, to the broader community. So we've done e-notifications, and we post it on social media. We can do another blast.
302
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Community Hall: Thank you. One more question. Please make it brief, we need to move on. So, developing
to authorize the flock camera also?
30300:50:24.460 --> 00:50:39.890
Community Hall: There was a comment. Yeah, yeah, I… Follow-up, yeah. Vice Mayor, yeah, I saw the
comment, and I think that individuals should probably, if they did, provide their contact information, it seems more like a code enforcement matter, because our flock cameras are turned off.
304
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Community Hall: Private individuals can have their own fault.
30500:50:42.780 --> 00:50:50.020Community Hall: they can reach out to the Sheriff's Office. Okay, thank you. So, we have completed oral communications, is that correct?
306
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Community Hall: That's correct, Mayor. All right, thank you. And so we're going to go back to the consent
calendar item. Okay, so again, we had no consent, calendar items pulled, but we did postpone, item 11,
Senate Bill 922, which had already been signed into law, so that is postponed, indefinitely.
30700:51:13.300 --> 00:51:22.080Community Hall: And, are there any members of the public who would like to speak to the consent calendar items 5 through 10 at this time?
308
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Community Hall: Mayor, I don't have any requests to speak in person, just that one for item number 11, which has been tabled, and at this time, I don't see any hands raised virtually. Okay, so do I have a motion to move consent items 5 through 10? Motion to move consent… oh, go ahead, Josh, your birthday.
30900:51:39.480 --> 00:51:41.630Community Hall: So moved. Second.
310
00:51:42.340 --> 00:51:45.690Community Hall: Do we have any comments from members of the Council?
31100:51:46.070 --> 00:51:52.779Community Hall: Not seeing any, Madam City Clerk, will you please set the voting lights and conduct a vote?
312
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Community Hall: The motion carries unanimously.
31300:52:05.650 --> 00:52:20.360Community Hall: Great. So, we do not have any public hearings, so we move on to Action Calendar Item 12, which is an ordinance amending the Audit Committee duties, powers, and responsibilities. Madam City Manager, do we have a presentation?
314
00:52:20.360 --> 00:52:32.529Community Hall: Thank you, Mayor. We have a brief presentation. So this item returns to Council following previous Council direction and subsequent consideration by the Audit Committee regarding its duties, responsibilities, and meeting frequency.
31500:52:32.530 --> 00:52:47.420Community Hall: The Audit Committee has completed its review, and is recommending several amendments to the Muni Code. Jonathan Norusco, Director of Finance, will briefly walk through the Committee's recommendations and the proposed changes before you this evening, and we are available for questions
after.
31600:52:50.810 --> 00:52:55.500Community Hall: Thank you, Tina. Good evening, Honorable Mayor Moore and Councilmembers.
31700:52:55.690 --> 00:53:05.080Community Hall: Tonight, I'll briefly review how we got here, the Audit Committee's recommendations, and
the proposed amendments to Chapter 2.88 of the Municipal Code.
31800:53:07.850 --> 00:53:26.979Community Hall: In July of last year, the Audit Committee unanimously recommended three amendments to its duties and responsibilities. The first was to remain the body to the Audit and Finance Committee to better reflect the broader financial oversight rule. The second was to clarify its responsibility for reviewing the City's internal controls.
319
00:53:27.340 --> 00:53:33.469
Community Hall: And third was to add oversight to the use of financial or artificial intelligence as its
32000:53:35.320 --> 00:53:41.010Community Hall: As it relates to financial reporting, internal controls, risk management, and compliance.
321
00:53:41.510 --> 00:53:44.590
Community Hall: When these recommendations came to Council last October.
32200:53:44.720 --> 00:53:51.430Community Hall: Council referred several additional items back to the committee, including potentially increasing the meeting frequency.
323
00:53:51.860 --> 00:53:57.070
Community Hall: Expanding its financial oversight responsibilities, and establishing a budget subcommittee.
32400:53:59.990 --> 00:54:17.909Community Hall: The Audit Committee considered the Council's additional direction in April. Following that discussion, the committee unanimously recommended retaining the three original municipal code amendments and maintaining its existing quarterly meeting schedule, rather than increasing the number of regular meetings.
325
00:54:18.860 --> 00:54:36.020
Community Hall: Rather than significantly expanding the committee's direct involvement in the City's budget process, the Committee recommended using the City's internal audit work program to provide additional targeted financial and operational oversight through Baker Tilly, the City's contracted internal auditor.
32600:54:36.490 --> 00:54:43.109Community Hall: The additional internal audit projects, were subsequently considered by the Audit Committee in July.
327
00:54:43.300 --> 00:54:51.380
Community Hall: These projects, along with associated funding requests, will be… will come to Council, separately on September 15th.
32800:54:54.300 --> 00:55:10.579Community Hall: Based on the committee's recommendations, their ordinance before Council includes three substantive amendments. It renames the Audit Committee as the Audit and Finance Committee, clarifies its
oversight of the City's internal controls and internal audit reports.
32900:55:10.710 --> 00:55:19.119Community Hall: And responsibility for reviewing the use of artificial intelligence in financial management, internal controls, risk management, and compliance.
33000:55:19.480 --> 00:55:22.839
Community Hall: We're also included one administrative update.
33100:55:23.140 --> 00:55:36.869Community Hall: Section 2.88.110 currently references the Director of Administrative Services. Consistent with the City's recent departmental reorganization, the title is being updated to Director of Finance.
33200:55:37.240 --> 00:55:43.589
Community Hall: This title change only This is only a title change and does not change the responsibilities of
the position.
33300:55:44.370 --> 00:55:50.899Community Hall: As recommended, the Audit Committee There is no change proposed to the existing quarterly meeting frequency.
334
00:55:53.030 --> 00:56:02.469
Community Hall: Based on the Audit Committee's unanimous recommendation, staff recommends that
Council introduce and conduct the first reading of the Chapter 2.88.
33500:56:02.600 --> 00:56:07.590Community Hall: Staff will return for the second reading and adoption at a subsequent council meeting.
336
00:56:07.940 --> 00:56:11.940
Community Hall: This ends my presentation, and staff is available to answer any questions.
33700:56:12.280 --> 00:56:22.249Community Hall: Great. Thank you, Director Orozco, for that report. Madam City Clerk, we're going to go out
for public comment at this time. Do we have members of the public who would like to comment on item 12?
338
00:56:23.280 --> 00:56:31.450
Community Hall: Mayor, I don't have any requests here in person at Community Hall, but I do have one hand raised virtually. So at this time, we will go ahead and welcome Jennifer Griffin.
33900:56:34.000 --> 00:56:36.340Jennifer Griffin: Thank you. Can you all hear me?
340
00:56:36.550 --> 00:56:37.279
Community Hall: We can hear you.
34100:56:37.460 --> 00:56:55.179Jennifer Griffin: Okay, thank you. I am very supportive of having this committee. I think the renaming of it is very, apropos. I like the fact that we're reaching out and conducting audits, that we have people looking at.
342
00:56:56.880 --> 00:57:12.759
Jennifer Griffin: finances in the city and talking about them, it is certainly very, very important. One of the points that I just was hoping we could have a little bit more clarity about is the role of artificial intelligence in this
34300:57:13.190 --> 00:57:15.660
Jennifer Griffin: City Council meeting item.
344
00:57:15.930 --> 00:57:22.919Jennifer Griffin: I… I am assuming that this is going to be… that the audit committee would be looking at
34500:57:23.370 --> 00:57:27.940Jennifer Griffin: The role of artificial intelligence Ian…
346
00:57:28.070 --> 00:57:45.060
Jennifer Griffin: running audits or looking at city finances. I'm a little bit confused about that. I'm certainly aware of what artificial intelligence is, but in the scope of the broader emerging issues that cities and the public
34700:57:45.530 --> 00:57:51.349
Jennifer Griffin: are having, and I am supportive of artificial intelligence, especially coming from a tech
background.
34800:57:51.710 --> 00:57:55.419Jennifer Griffin: We do have a lot of questions that are emerging about
34900:57:55.600 --> 00:58:08.569
Jennifer Griffin: artificial intelligence, its place, data centers, etc. But could you all explain a little bit,
especially to me as a member of the public, what exactly the Audit Committee and the Financial Committee
35000:58:08.710 --> 00:58:16.400Jennifer Griffin: are seeking to find or look at with artificial intelligence, who is using AI,
351
00:58:16.530 --> 00:58:22.660
Jennifer Griffin: in… that you would be auditing, could you explain that a little bit? I would appreciate that.
Thank you.
35200:58:25.540 --> 00:58:29.540Community Hall: Thank you, Jennifer. And Mayor, there are no further requests to speak on this item.
353
00:58:33.500 --> 00:58:48.929
Community Hall: Thank you. And I was wondering if Director Orozco would like to address the question
about the use of AI and what your understanding is, with regards to, the addition of this section 2.88.100i.
35400:58:49.900 --> 00:59:08.810Community Hall: Of course. So, this is a preemptive, amendment. Currently, the city does not use AI for financial purposes. However, as we're implementing the new ERP system, as discussed earlier with the INT's,
355
00:59:10.740 --> 00:59:15.200
Community Hall: celebrate, ceremony. But,
35600:59:15.970 --> 00:59:35.370Community Hall: there is a possibility that there's a module that would implement or make use of AI in our financial reporting, or, tracking of, of, of, transactions. Currently, our external auditors use it, to,
357
00:59:35.720 --> 00:59:37.269
Community Hall: Provide some sort of a…
35800:59:37.420 --> 00:59:53.960Community Hall: a pool list, so looking at transactions the city has conducted over the course of the fiscal year to, identify high-risk transactions in which they will use to audit. But again, currently, the city is not utilizing AI for financial purposes.
359
00:59:55.530 --> 00:59:58.410Community Hall: I see a hand raised by Vice Mayor Chao?
36000:59:59.470 --> 01:00:00.270Community Hall: Hi.
361
01:00:00.440 --> 01:00:12.629
Community Hall: So, I have, two questions, first, like, also about the mention of, one specific technology, which is AI.
362
01:00:12.750 --> 01:00:30.710
Community Hall: It seems, odd for a city code to reference one specific technology, because technology evolves, and then today it's AI, tomorrow it might be, RI, some other name. And… but then, as long as they create risk.
363
01:00:30.710 --> 01:00:38.419
Community Hall: to our finance operation. I think it makes sense for the audit committee to look into that
and…
36401:00:38.950 --> 01:00:43.629Community Hall: To do risk analysis and protect our…
365
01:00:44.000 --> 01:00:47.479
Community Hall: the integrity of our data. So…
36601:00:47.740 --> 01:01:02.520Community Hall: it might be a good idea to not name it specifically. For example, I think all other commissions, like Public Safety, likely will face similar risks from AI, and we don't want to be amending their municipal code.
367
01:01:02.830 --> 01:01:06.649
Community Hall: So, so something to consider is maybe just say.
36801:01:07.020 --> 01:01:10.670Community Hall: Review the use of technology.
369
01:01:10.990 --> 01:01:17.410
Community Hall: That, or maybe other people have better words. So,
37001:01:17.920 --> 01:01:24.069Community Hall: And so, is there any specific reason we have to mention AI here?
371
01:01:25.970 --> 01:01:36.609
Community Hall: The audit committee felt it was prudent enough or important enough to call it out
specifically, seeing that it's… it is an emerging technology, although it's,
37201:01:36.880 --> 01:01:47.210Community Hall: the powers and responsibilities in G, which, to review cities, internal controls and internal audit reprograms could arguably cover that.
373
01:01:47.230 --> 01:02:00.959
Community Hall: But at this point, that was the audit committee's recommendation to call out, for… Okay.
Second question is the name, finance is added to the audit committee.
37401:02:01.030 --> 01:02:07.279
Community Hall: So my understanding was, from earlier, We hope to…
375
01:02:07.600 --> 01:02:19.080
Community Hall: expand the responsibility of audit committee a little bit, not just in monitoring, but also in terms of planning, which is, what…
37601:02:19.160 --> 01:02:36.110Community Hall: maybe fall under… more under finance. I see finance added, but I don't see any additional
responsibility that's more relevant to finance. So I'm just curious what's the intent of that.
377
01:02:36.940 --> 01:02:49.909Community Hall: It actually covers the existing responsibilities of the Audit Committee, which is one specifically to review the Boardly Treasurer's Investment Report, which is a finance function, not an audit function.
378
01:02:50.260 --> 01:03:05.490
Community Hall: Okay. How about maybe, like, a 10-year budgeting? That's… I think that's usually not under
audit, right? It's more of, like, backward-looking. Let's look at what has happened.
37901:03:05.610 --> 01:03:08.170Community Hall: Rather than planning for the future.
380
01:03:09.220 --> 01:03:29.180
Community Hall: So, that was covered under the, the use of the city's internal auditors, and we can build
that into their work program, where they can conduct a review and analysis of the city's historical, actual
actuals, or budgeting, or possibly even, perform some sort of analysis of our
38101:03:29.180 --> 01:03:37.179Community Hall: our 10-year forecast, which was recently conducted by Baker Tilly, I want to say about a year and a half ago.
382
01:03:37.970 --> 01:03:46.659
Community Hall: And so, again, it's to expand on the opportunity for the internal auditors to perform additional services for the,
38301:03:46.660 --> 01:03:58.040Community Hall: For the city. Again, that's going to be coming to Council next week. So you think the internal controls currently… the current work program cover some function under finance?
384
01:03:58.350 --> 01:03:59.190Community Hall: Certainly.
38501:04:00.950 --> 01:04:03.300Community Hall: Okay.
386
01:04:05.050 --> 01:04:06.519
Community Hall: Yeah, thank you.
38701:04:09.590 --> 01:04:11.869Community Hall: Councilmember Mohan. Oh.
388
01:04:12.020 --> 01:04:22.280Community Hall: Thank you, Jonathan, for the presentation. I had a quick question about the contract with Baker Tilly. Didn't we always have a contract, and why are you…
38901:04:22.560 --> 01:04:32.530Community Hall: Specifically, mentioning… The Baker Tilly, responsibilities. Are you expanding their…
390
01:04:32.780 --> 01:04:36.189Community Hall: Responsibilities, increasing their contract?
39101:04:36.540 --> 01:04:48.509Community Hall: That is the intention. So, part of what, the audit committee had discussed earlier, back in April, was to expand the, the responsibilities, or the, the work
392
01:04:48.680 --> 01:04:54.689Community Hall: of, Baker Tilly, to include additional services. So, with that,
39301:04:54.780 --> 01:05:11.740Community Hall: Their current program, or contract, is about $100,000 per year. The new proposal will range anywhere from, about $180,000 to up to about $250 for the next fiscal year, and so that will be
coming back to Council, in two weeks.
39401:05:11.840 --> 01:05:18.909Community Hall: And that's, just as a quick preview, that's going to be tiered into two… or separated into two tiers. The audit committees.
39501:05:18.930 --> 01:05:31.990
Community Hall: essentially top, projects that they want to see come through, followed by some additional
projects that, should the Council approve those, those costs, we can pursue those, for those projects in the
next fiscal year.
39601:05:32.660 --> 01:05:39.460Community Hall: So, with that, as we're expanding the work that they'll be performing. We'll also have to ask for an additional
397
01:05:39.490 --> 01:05:53.590
Community Hall: appropriations to cover those projects, and an amendment to their contract to cover that.
Their contract actually expired on July 1st, however, so we're going to be extending it for one additional year.
398
01:05:53.670 --> 01:06:13.539Community Hall: And then, following that, we will be going out for an RFP later this year, so that we can, whether it's Baker Tilly or another, audit firm, to be the city's internal auditors for the next 5 or so years. So you've already identified the additional tasks that…
399
01:06:13.730 --> 01:06:16.130
Community Hall: You expect Baker Tilly to perform?
40001:06:16.580 --> 01:06:33.509Community Hall: Yes, we have, and that was, part of our last meeting in July. There was, apart from the two, ongoing, project… well, I wouldn't call them projects, it's just services that they provide, like going to the, quarterly meetings, reviewing our fraud, waste, and abuse.
401
01:06:33.510 --> 01:06:46.179Community Hall: And then they… they included 6 projects for this committee to consider, of which the top 3 is classed under a Tier 1, and then the following 3 into a Tier 2.
40201:06:47.430 --> 01:06:54.190Community Hall: And that's what we'll be hearing at the September meeting? September 15th, correct.
Thank you very much. You're very welcome.
40301:06:56.190 --> 01:07:14.379Community Hall: Thank you. So, when we're looking at the red lines, and most of the changes were suggestions from, Chair Schmidt, and so the first one was to add the word, and finance, so audit and finance, and then for G,
404
01:07:14.740 --> 01:07:25.479
Community Hall: It originally said to review internal audit reports, but it's now to review the city's internal
controls and internal audit reports, so we're not just looking at the audit
40501:07:25.480 --> 01:07:31.200Community Hall: reports, we're looking at the internal controls, and then lastly, there's the new,
406
01:07:31.200 --> 01:07:46.130
Community Hall: item I, to review the use of artificial intelligence in the city's financial reporting, internal
controls over financial reporting, risk management, and compliance. That was a, a specific request of, Chair
Schmidt,
40701:07:46.230 --> 01:07:59.419Community Hall: And I do see that it could fold under, policies and internal controls, however, he wanted to have it specifically to say the artificial intelligence, there, because it does,
408
01:07:59.630 --> 01:08:13.710
Community Hall: it does, potentially have some risk associated with it. Councilmember Wong. And Councilmember, I mean, I'm sorry, Vice Mayor Chao, you're still on the list for… thank you.
409
01:08:13.960 --> 01:08:30.700Community Hall: Councilmember Wong. Thank you for the floor. I actually agree with a lot of the changes in here, I think it makes sense. The only one I actually would make a suggestion as along the lines of Vice Mayor Chao is, instead of saying to review the use of AI, I would just say to review the use of emerging technologies and just leave it at that.
410
01:08:30.760 --> 01:08:42.259Community Hall: I think that will help you. It would be silly if we were to include review… using the internet in having a finance conversation. So that's how stupid we're gonna look in the future. So I would say just look at emerging technologies.
41101:08:47.170 --> 01:08:57.360
Community Hall: All right, and so we've already gone for a public comment at this time. Do we have a
motion to move the recommended action with the…
41201:08:58.060 --> 01:09:06.970Community Hall: insertion for item 3 to review the use of emerging technologies
41301:09:08.359 --> 01:09:19.620
Community Hall: I would either say such as artificial intelligence, because people might not get the point of
what we've just added, and it can change down the road. Okay, so… so item,
41401:09:19.630 --> 01:09:35.659Community Hall: For Section 2.88.100I to review the use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence in the city's financial reporting, internal controls over financial reporting, risk management, and compliance. I would support that.
415
01:09:35.899 --> 01:09:36.760
Community Hall: Second.
41601:09:37.670 --> 01:09:50.170Community Hall: All right. Do we have, Councilmember Wong, your hand is raised. I don't know if you need to talk on this item? Oh, I was gonna make the motion, sorry about that. Okay, so you've made the motion, we have a second. Vice Mayor.
417
01:09:51.790 --> 01:10:06.980
Community Hall: So, I understand that the long-term financial forecast is part of internal control when that's in the BORC program. It's not an annual item. So, I am proposing that we
41801:10:07.280 --> 01:10:11.869Community Hall: add, in the responsibility
419
01:10:12.090 --> 01:10:29.360
Community Hall: to review the city's long-term financial forecasts and fiscal stability, including significant revenue and expenditure trends, reverse levels, reserve levels, liabilities, and financial risks.
420
01:10:30.130 --> 01:10:42.500Community Hall: So I hope to make it more clear that the audit can help us ways, ongoing forecasting.
421
01:10:43.110 --> 01:10:46.749
Community Hall: Whether that's included in the internal control work program or not.
42201:10:48.190 --> 01:10:52.619Community Hall: Oh, what this, everyone think about that.
42301:10:56.510 --> 01:11:14.590
Community Hall: Question to the Vice Mayor through the Mayor? Yes, and I would like to hear, Director
Orozco's… Okay, I'll wait for his thoughts. …thoughs on that matter. I'll wait for his thoughts, sorry. Mayor,
just one more. For example, when we were facing the sales tax issue, right, the finance, we had to…
42401:11:14.590 --> 01:11:18.130Community Hall: Look into our sales tax trend.
425
01:11:18.130 --> 01:11:21.920
Community Hall: And then do some analysis. So these all…
42601:11:22.720 --> 01:11:27.799Community Hall: are things that the Finance… Audit and Finance Committee can help with.
42701:11:28.060 --> 01:11:47.319
Community Hall: Do you want to comment to that? So that… we had a lot of discussions which were,
confidential, so I don't know how you would be bringing in, the rest of the audit committee, into that
discussion. I, that being said.
42801:11:47.320 --> 01:11:50.490Community Hall: I… I can see the… the…
429
01:11:50.730 --> 01:11:58.089
Community Hall: how they could be helpful at that point, but I think it's…
43001:11:58.560 --> 01:12:05.619Community Hall: It's adding something that could… to… to the current ordinance that
43101:12:05.770 --> 01:12:09.559
Community Hall: Might have further implications that need…
432
01:12:09.560 --> 01:12:25.830Community Hall: some careful thought. So it could be that that gets put onto a TBD item to get discussed to see if it has any unintended consequences, because there's a lot of moving parts to that request. Director Orozco.
43301:12:25.830 --> 01:12:42.159Community Hall: I agree with those comments. Additionally, so some of this has been discussed with the audit committee. Their thoughts is how their duties, powers, and responsibilities right now are currently outlined, just sufficient to kind of capture a lot of those, this request now.
434
01:12:42.210 --> 01:12:49.689Community Hall: If there is a desire by the Council to perform some of these more specific tasks, we can,
43501:12:49.770 --> 01:12:56.629Community Hall: reach out to Baker Tilly to perform some of these functions as part of their internal work program.
436
01:12:56.670 --> 01:13:11.970Community Hall: But to move this, this item along, I would recommend improving it as is, and then we can have a follow-up conversation with the internal… with the audit committee, to see how they would want to incorporate that at a later revision of their
43701:13:12.120 --> 01:13:13.439
Community Hall: Municipal code.
43801:13:13.960 --> 01:13:29.149Community Hall: And it is an interesting question because, we have item D already, which is to recommend a budget format, and that's… and we had a lot of discussion last year and, made alterations to the budget
43901:13:29.150 --> 01:13:50.149
Community Hall: format itself, but we don't dive into the, material of the budget, and then, you know, go do
a deep dive after it's been approved or during the approval process. So it may be that, should this come
back as a discussion item, that we talk about having a budget
44001:13:50.150 --> 01:13:54.810Community Hall: Subcommittee of some kind, for individuals who
441
01:13:54.810 --> 01:14:13.450
Community Hall: have the time to really dive into the budget more, and maybe there are members of the
public, or individuals from other committees that want to, participate in that. But it is, as you know, the
budget, even having termed it down, is really a very lengthy and complicated document. Councilmember Wang.
44201:14:13.450 --> 01:14:19.519Community Hall: Thank you, Mayor. Director Asco, I have a question for you. Is the Audit Committee trying
to move from a
443
01:14:19.520 --> 01:14:30.830Community Hall: backward-looking, rear mirror, historical compliance and past financial reporting to a forward-looking emerging risk, strategic challenges, and future operational resilience approach? Is that the
stance that we're heading towards?
444
01:14:31.550 --> 01:14:36.149
Community Hall: I think they're… what they're attempting to do is actually look at both sides, right?
44501:14:36.210 --> 01:14:55.829Community Hall: backwards in the terms of our annual comprehensive financial report and our internal controls to combat any kind of, mis, or material misstatements. And then looking forward in terms of our
investments, right? Yeah, when we provide the quarterly reports, it is backwards looking, but there's been
some,
44601:14:56.120 --> 01:15:12.650Community Hall: some, strong conversations, robust conversations with our, with PARS and our… with Chandler to see where is the market going, are we strategically placed so that we can, address any kind of.
447
01:15:13.390 --> 01:15:32.279
Community Hall: So that our… all our eggs are not in one basket, so if there was a turn in the market, that
we wouldn't see a drastic reduction in our investment portfolio, right? So, from that perspective, as well as
the artificial intelligence, right? So that's a risk that's in the horizon. How is some of the organizations using it?
44801:15:32.360 --> 01:15:35.600Community Hall: And what are the potential risks to our, to…
449
01:15:35.600 --> 01:15:58.419
Community Hall: again, material statements and whatnot. I'm only saying that because we are now the audit and finance committee, and in finance, you are looking at forward-looking. I would agree with the mayor, I'm happy to put that in a future agenda item, but I think it would be important to have more forward-looking responsibilities into the code. Right now, it's very retro. You're looking backwards because it's an audit committee. But as you move to a finance committee, you will want to do simulation.
450
01:15:58.420 --> 01:16:04.359
Community Hall: with your AI, and you want to be able to run scenario planning against that, so you can get
to that point where scenario plans then
45101:16:04.380 --> 01:16:08.250Community Hall: Come back. I mean, you're basically building cubes, so… Okay.
452
01:16:08.960 --> 01:16:10.650
Community Hall: Councilmember Mohan.
45301:16:10.960 --> 01:16:12.479Community Hall: And we still have a motion play, so…
45401:16:13.500 --> 01:16:21.859
Community Hall: Just, just a comment about including the budget, details that some of my colleagues
wanted.
45501:16:21.930 --> 01:16:40.649Community Hall: As… to be a part of the internal audit and… or the audit and finance committee. The budget itself is a separate process, and, you know, as we all know, this takes 6 to 7 months to go through
the budget process, and I'd hate for,
45601:16:40.770 --> 01:16:47.570Community Hall: The budget to be included in this, in the audit committee responsibilities,
45701:16:48.620 --> 01:16:56.189Community Hall: Mainly because it adds a whole lot of additional effort on the part of the committee and the
staff.
45801:16:56.480 --> 01:17:01.300Community Hall: And, because we already have Enough, deep dive.
45901:17:01.510 --> 01:17:10.600Community Hall: processes built into the budget system, and I think including that in this would be
redundant and unnecessary.
46001:17:15.560 --> 01:17:16.710Community Hall: Vice Mayor?
46101:17:17.980 --> 01:17:37.750Community Hall: Yeah, thank you. I like how Councilmember Wan frames it, and so could we consider
maybe to, the motion to include a direction for audit committee to consider potential long… forward-looking,
responsibility?
46201:17:38.820 --> 01:17:40.240Community Hall: That's reasonable.
46301:17:44.410 --> 01:17:47.429
Community Hall: Are we saying that in a TBD item, agenda item?
46401:17:47.730 --> 01:17:52.510Community Hall: For the future? No, I thought they said something the audit committee would…
46501:17:52.590 --> 01:18:07.140Community Hall: No, the audit committee typically is backwards-looking, and the finance committee is
looking forward-looking, but I don't know if… I think the audit and Finance Committee can have a discussion
themselves what kind of forward-looking responsibility they would like to have first.
46601:18:07.150 --> 01:18:16.960Community Hall: before it comes to the Council. That's why I thought it makes sense to have included a direction to the audit committee to consider that in the motion.
467
01:18:17.980 --> 01:18:23.729
Community Hall: And… Rather than it's a console TPD item, which…
46801:18:25.530 --> 01:18:40.660Community Hall: I think it doesn't make sense for the Council to talk about it. It's better if the committee make a recommendation to the Council. Through the Mayor, can we make the motion first, and then
afterwards from the motion, give direction to the committee to come back with something to add in the
future?
46901:18:41.820 --> 01:18:43.480Community Hall: You think that's what you're trying to do, Vice Mayor?
47001:18:45.430 --> 01:18:47.130
Community Hall: Mmm. Process-wise?
471
01:18:54.870 --> 01:19:11.299Community Hall: Either way, I… I would personally call the question, and then have the vote, and then afterwards direct, you know, direct staff to tell the audit committee or direct the audit committee to come back with suggestions to be more forward-looking. Are we allowed to do that? Our committee.
472
01:19:12.860 --> 01:19:29.979
Community Hall: It's unclear what you mean by backwards-looking and forward-looking, and how that would
fit into an ordinance. If you're talking about our investments, we have Chandler working with us on
47301:19:29.980 --> 01:19:37.730Community Hall: on that, and we receive our investment policy, we work on that, so I'm…
474
01:19:38.070 --> 01:19:45.080
Community Hall: Not really sure what, could be, appropriate to add… to,
47501:19:45.220 --> 01:20:08.509Community Hall: to the ordinance and responsibilities. I do also want to point out that we have had a difficult time maintaining the group of five on the audit committee, and we're having a great deal of turnover. A lot of times, we're only having 3 out of the 5 members show up, so adding additional tasks for a group that is already struggling to.
476
01:20:08.510 --> 01:20:11.470
Community Hall: In particular, keep the,
47701:20:11.470 --> 01:20:27.279Community Hall: the professional finance individuals on it. It's concerning, so before we add more to it, we need to maintain a stable group of five throughout the year as well.
478
01:20:28.520 --> 01:20:32.939
Community Hall: And I think we might have another vacancy looking at right now.
47901:20:36.620 --> 01:20:49.870Community Hall: I'll call a question. And if I may add, if there's concerns relating to a certain aspect of the
budget, for instance, that can be included as part of the internal work program that the internal… the
internal auditors perform.
48001:20:50.060 --> 01:20:53.529Community Hall: Right, so to meet your needs, as well as,
48101:20:54.280 --> 01:20:58.729
Community Hall: The general, the more broader responsibilities of the internal audit.
48201:20:58.830 --> 01:21:04.810Community Hall: That's, I believe, general enough with the duties, powers, and responsibilities outlined in the municipal Code.
48301:21:05.660 --> 01:21:18.110
Community Hall: And through the City Attorney, with regards to this request to call the question, remind me
how that, when it's, a council member, not the mayor,
48401:21:18.740 --> 01:21:27.999Community Hall: requesting that. When an individual council member calls the question, they need to have a second, and then they need to have a supermajority.
485
01:21:28.070 --> 01:21:45.409
Community Hall: Okay, and if I'm the one that calls the question, how does that work? If you call the
question, then we move to a vote, unless somebody objects to doing that, and in which case they object to
calling the question, they need a second, and they just need 3 votes to overrule you.
48601:21:45.890 --> 01:21:47.460Community Hall: Do you want me to call the question?
487
01:21:47.950 --> 01:21:50.740
Community Hall: Okay, I'm gonna call the question, Dan.
48801:21:54.240 --> 01:22:05.110Community Hall: I'm not hearing any opposition at this time. Madam City Clerk, will you please set the vote panel, and we will vote with our lights?
489
01:22:09.570 --> 01:22:17.209
Community Hall: I think the vote panel will need me to enter a mover and a seconder. Oh, okay. So,
49001:22:17.650 --> 01:22:21.619
Community Hall: More… we already have a… We already moved and seconded.
491
01:22:21.750 --> 01:22:34.809
Community Hall: With the emergency technologies such as artificial intelligence addition to the recommended action. I believe it was moved by Wong, or maybe by Councilmember Fruen? It was moved by Wong and seconded by Fee.
49201:22:35.530 --> 01:22:36.220
Community Hall: Right?
493
01:22:51.620 --> 01:22:53.160Community Hall: Vice Mayor?
49401:22:56.280 --> 01:22:58.090Community Hall: The motion carries unanimously.
495
01:22:59.970 --> 01:23:06.300
Community Hall: So, at this time, if you are requesting a TBD item,
49601:23:06.960 --> 01:23:11.260Community Hall: About some of the proposed changes, please do so.
497
01:23:17.020 --> 01:23:19.469
Community Hall: I was gonna wait that for future gen items, but…
49801:23:20.230 --> 01:23:27.109Community Hall: Okay, so that's really an informational item, but you can… you can do the TBD right now. Oh, okay. Yeah, I'd like to…
499
01:23:27.650 --> 01:23:37.160
Community Hall: Yeah, I would like to request the direction to go to a more future-forward-looking finance
committee approach, or have those kind of… have the committee think about what that would look like.
50001:23:37.740 --> 01:23:50.889Community Hall: Okay, you know, I agree with that. I would like you to share a little bit more information, maybe in an email to, I'll send an informa… I'll send an email. That would help a lot, thank you. Okay, so…
501
01:23:51.080 --> 01:23:55.609
Community Hall: We… do we need to take a 5-minute break, or can we keep going?
50201:23:56.480 --> 01:24:03.590Community Hall: Okay, we're going to continue. All right, so thank you, Director Orozco, for item 12.
503
01:24:04.550 --> 01:24:22.630
Community Hall: And next is item 13, considering approval of the 2025-26 Civil Grand Jury response to their
report entitled VTA's Management and Oversight of BART Silicon Valley Phase 2. Madam City Manager, do we have a presentation for this item?
504
01:24:23.150 --> 01:24:27.670
Community Hall: Yes, I'll be, providing the presentation this evening. Good evening.
50501:24:27.770 --> 01:24:29.459Community Hall: Just share my screen.
50601:24:29.780 --> 01:24:31.120
Community Hall: Are you seeing that?
507
01:24:35.500 --> 01:24:36.560Community Hall: Is that working?
50801:24:40.220 --> 01:24:43.710Community Hall: I… is it not working? It's… there it is.
509
01:24:44.030 --> 01:24:44.920
Community Hall: Oh, good.
51001:24:45.410 --> 01:24:46.389Community Hall: Very well.
511
01:24:47.620 --> 01:24:56.689
Community Hall: So, this item pertains to the Civil Grand Jury Report, regarding the Santa Clara Valley
Transportation Authority, known as VTA.
51201:24:56.690 --> 01:25:08.439Community Hall: In particular, it focuses on VTA's management and oversight of a $12.7 billion project to extend BART rail service, and is expected to take a decade to complete that project.
513
01:25:12.300 --> 01:25:29.199
Community Hall: The report discusses VTA's management and oversight of the project. It's basically known as the BART, Silicon Valley Phase 2 Project. The report was released this past June. In addition to its primary focus on the board's oversight of this important project.
51401:25:29.200 --> 01:25:36.250
Community Hall: It questions the processes that the cities, like Cupertino, use to appoint VTA board
members.
51501:25:36.290 --> 01:25:41.099Community Hall: Particularly as pertains to board experience and continuity.
516
01:25:41.520 --> 01:25:54.840Community Hall: The report notes that according to the CPUC, to the extent possible, the appointing powers shall appoint individuals who have expertise, experience, or knowledge relative to transportation issues.
517
01:25:55.060 --> 01:26:00.289
Community Hall: Responses to the grand jury report from the cities are due on September 15th.
51801:26:04.920 --> 01:26:15.789Community Hall: As the City knows, Penal Code Section 933B and 933.05 require the City to respond to the findings and recommendations directed by the grand jury to them.
519
01:26:15.950 --> 01:26:20.649
Community Hall: The City of Cupertino appoints one member to the VTA Board and one alternate.
52001:26:20.800 --> 01:26:32.050Community Hall: Cupertino and other appointing cities and towns have been asked to respond to two findings, findings 6 and 7, and two corresponding recommendations, Recommendations 6 and 7.
521
01:26:34.450 --> 01:26:52.420
Community Hall: Finding 6 focuses on Section 2.14 of the VTA Administrative Code, which asks cities to
appoint individuals with appropriate experience and qualifications in transportation, and to reappoint representatives to consecutive terms.
52201:26:52.830 --> 01:26:56.469Community Hall: The finding notes that cities often do not follow this instruction.
523
01:26:56.620 --> 01:27:05.490
Community Hall: Based on conversations with council members, it has been my understanding that this statement tends to be true, so I offer the suggested response as agree.
52401:27:07.790 --> 01:27:16.559Community Hall: Based on the prior response, it makes sense for the appointing cities to heed the recommendation and adhere to the VTA Administrative Code.
525
01:27:16.570 --> 01:27:29.970Community Hall: And commit to appointing board members with experience to the extent possible, and make the effort to appoint board members for consecutive terms. So again, it makes sense to, suggest a response of agree.
52601:27:33.660 --> 01:27:46.220
Community Hall: Finding 7 of the report, concludes that the 15 various appointing cities and towns have
different processes for making appointments to this board.
52701:27:46.550 --> 01:27:58.079Community Hall: Considering there is no formal structure, it follows that the 15 various appointing bodies
would have different processes for making board appointments. So again, the suggested response is agree.
528
01:28:01.220 --> 01:28:04.120
Community Hall: And, Recommendation 7.
52901:28:04.260 --> 01:28:14.019Community Hall: from the, grand jury. They suggest that the 15 cities and towns should devise a uniform process for making appointments.
530
01:28:14.110 --> 01:28:31.389
Community Hall: To the extent the appointing bodies can assist in enhancing the VTA Board's effectiveness by creating a uniform, rational process for making board appointments, this seems like a useful recommendation. And so, again, the suggestion is agree, and it continues.
53101:28:31.470 --> 01:28:45.850
Community Hall: That perhaps, as one council member suggested, it seems that a uniform process for
appointing VTA board members might include a weighting system for various metrics relative to the VTA's
purpose.
53201:28:53.110 --> 01:28:55.420Community Hall: And these metrics… oh!
533
01:28:56.280 --> 01:28:58.880
Community Hall: And these metrics might include…
53401:28:59.430 --> 01:29:04.840Community Hall: Prior experience with the VTA Board to enhance continuity and institutional memory.
53501:29:05.330 --> 01:29:10.459
Community Hall: Candidates' prior expertise or education regarding ERMID transit systems.
536
01:29:10.700 --> 01:29:20.939Community Hall: Candidates' willingness and ability, to attend trainings in the field of public transportation, particularly regarding board member training.
53701:29:21.050 --> 01:29:24.649
Community Hall: And candidates' other experience with regional boards.
538
01:29:25.710 --> 01:29:31.579Community Hall: And then, the suggestion is that we agree with the
53901:29:32.830 --> 01:29:37.979Community Hall: Grand jury's suggestion that the uniform process should be implemented by year's end.
540
01:29:38.660 --> 01:29:42.550
Community Hall: And… That is the report on the grand jury report.
54101:29:44.100 --> 01:29:54.060Community Hall: Thank you, Floyd, for the report, and for your work on this item. Are there any clarifying
questions from the Council on…
54201:29:54.220 --> 01:29:55.850Community Hall: our response.
54301:29:58.810 --> 01:30:00.129Community Hall: Vice Mayor Chao.
544
01:30:01.350 --> 01:30:13.469Community Hall: I have a question regarding, the current process that Group 3 representative is selected. So, Group 3 represent,
54501:30:14.130 --> 01:30:20.149Community Hall: Cupertino, Campbell, Los Gatos, Montezerino, Saratoga.
546
01:30:20.390 --> 01:30:21.600Community Hall: And,
54701:30:22.080 --> 01:30:38.120Community Hall: this kind of regional appointment, I've heard, is usually done by Cities Association, the select committee, but for this one, it was not. It was somehow appointed by the mayor's meeting.
548
01:30:38.340 --> 01:30:49.370Community Hall: And I think I've been on the council 8 years. I don't think I've ever received any information inviting council members to apply.
54901:30:49.720 --> 01:30:53.849Community Hall: So, just curious, what is the current process?
550
01:30:54.210 --> 01:30:55.220Community Hall: on this.
55101:30:55.610 --> 01:31:02.470Community Hall: My understanding is that each city select, appoints their own, board member and alternate.
552
01:31:03.470 --> 01:31:19.149
Community Hall: So… It's a different thing. Yeah, I will share what I… little I know about it, because I've tried to do some research. I could find some documentation from another city, but it goes back to, like, 2014.
553
01:31:20.650 --> 01:31:44.479Community Hall: they… it has been the West Valley Mayor's Meeting, but the structure doesn't appear to have a fixed, time during the year when they make the selection. It doesn't appear to be publicly noticed, for… for individuals to know about it. I did apply in,
554
01:31:44.880 --> 01:31:54.240
Community Hall: gosh, I believe it was 2022, and then there was another opening, In 2024, however, they…
55501:31:54.330 --> 01:32:08.289Community Hall: pushed back the, there was an email that, at that time, in 2024, we only had, like, a 4- or 5-day turnaround, if you were to, express any interest in it. So there was,
556
01:32:08.290 --> 01:32:26.930
Community Hall: tremendous inconsistency. I went scouring through my emails to try to even find, the application request, and then the… there has also been some inconsistency about whether or not a candidate was allowed to be at that meeting, so there's no set,
55701:32:27.220 --> 01:32:46.499Community Hall: process, which is really problematic. And what happens when… if… we've… we've had
situations where individuals have just dropped off of, like, the Policy Advisory Committee, out of… out of
frustration for how,
55801:32:46.610 --> 01:33:10.180Community Hall: how the leadership was being selected, I can, you know, mention that, because that happened this past year, which is, which is really unfortunate. So you, you, I would love to see more qualified individuals on the board, and for our process to be, uniform and transparent, moving forward. I think it would help quite a lot, so…
559
01:33:10.180 --> 01:33:31.340
Community Hall: Vta, is the congestion management agency. If I… I think the trainings idea is really helpful, if you can get people with, some kind of civil transportation background, to be able to, at the very least, be able to speak the language, because one of the frustrations I've had is,
56001:33:31.340 --> 01:33:54.040
Community Hall: I try to advocate for having average daily traffic, added to the congestion management
report that they put out. Other counties do provide this information, and it's a lot more enlightening than
what the state mandate is, which is just to provide level of service, which, as I've said many times over, if
you're given a level of service of a 8-lane
56101:33:54.040 --> 01:34:16.630Community Hall: two eight-lane streets that are intersecting, or two-lane streets which are intersecting, you can end up with the same level of service, but you have no idea that the volume is so much different. You're just given a letter, and that's what the state mandate is, is to provide that. So trainings could very easily,
help that body out, and I think that
56201:34:16.630 --> 01:34:26.869Community Hall: it would be, hugely beneficial to the entire region, if that could happen moving forward. So
I do really appreciate the,
563
01:34:27.380 --> 01:34:39.300
Community Hall: the response here, and I see, Vice Mayor, your hand is still raised. We have not gone out for public comment. Did you have another question? Yeah. So…
56401:34:39.530 --> 01:34:46.910Community Hall: The city does appoint a person directly to VTA, and there is this other thing that is…
565
01:34:47.230 --> 01:34:58.669
Community Hall: we have a rep for the five cities. So what's the difference, could you clarify a little bit more? Okay. Yeah. So the… what we,
56601:34:58.670 --> 01:35:17.109Community Hall: what we appoint is someone to the policy advisory committee, and then the mayors,
determine who out of the five cities would be appointed to the board and an alternate. Oh, so this is
regarding the board, not the policy advisor.
56701:35:17.450 --> 01:35:33.700Community Hall: Correct, correct. And we haven't had, representation on the board since… it might have been 2022. And then the current process was… the appointment was not done in a Brown Act.
568
01:35:33.700 --> 01:35:42.740
Community Hall: noticed the public meeting. I could not find it listed, or down in the West Mayor's Meeting,
as usual.
56901:35:42.760 --> 01:35:48.920Community Hall: Not a public meeting where people can comment on the candidate's selection.
570
01:35:49.220 --> 01:35:50.280
Community Hall: And…
57101:35:50.280 --> 01:36:15.190Community Hall: and then the list of candidates and their qualifications are not published anywhere for a member of the public to see. Thank you, and to my recollection, in 20… when I applied, I think it was at the end of 2022, because I had been chairing the Policy Advisory Committee for 2 years, and that I was told not to attend, that meeting. It was one of their, like.
572
01:36:15.190 --> 01:36:29.069
Community Hall: lunch meetings that they had. So you're not allowed to attend? And, and other candidates did. Other, other candidates did attend. So it was, it was a rather uneven… So, sounds like,
57301:36:29.070 --> 01:36:33.789Community Hall: more… the uniform process is needed, yeah. And I…
574
01:36:34.510 --> 01:36:44.790
Community Hall: I understand the transportation issue is complex, and the experience is important. However, I am… a little concerned.
575
01:36:44.910 --> 01:36:49.070
Community Hall: Because the word experience and all the qualification.
57601:36:49.270 --> 01:36:53.550Community Hall: Can sometimes be used to exclude people rather than
57701:36:53.890 --> 01:37:00.889
Community Hall: So that only some certain favorite people are included. Because, for example, on the
council.
57801:37:01.030 --> 01:37:09.309Community Hall: When we were elected, we don't know as much about the city governance, but we rely on expertise of the staff.
579
01:37:09.650 --> 01:37:22.750
Community Hall: And, as council members, we need to be able to learn, and the training, and those are
important. So, you are committed to getting up to speed to learn all that stuff.
58001:37:23.210 --> 01:37:27.680Community Hall: So, let's, like, more of my question, yeah.
581
01:37:27.840 --> 01:37:35.500
Community Hall: Then not, not… yeah, the comment, not really questioning. Okay, so let's go to… Mmm.
58201:37:36.130 --> 01:37:38.460Community Hall: Do you want to follow on with that?
58301:37:38.600 --> 01:37:50.469
Community Hall: Personally, I think that the Policy Advisory Committee would be a great training ground, for
individuals to then go… go apply to be on the board, and also that they, if they were to have
58401:37:51.040 --> 01:38:06.270Community Hall: trainings for the… for that committee, that that's a good way to get people up to speed, because a lot of this is… it's not, it is not that difficult to understand, but the training needs to be provided so that
585
01:38:06.270 --> 01:38:16.429
Community Hall: even the answer to, you know, why is it important to know average daily trips on a given
roadway segment? Well, we make decisions about.
58601:38:16.430 --> 01:38:24.230
Community Hall: having express bus lanes on those routes or not. And if you can't find the data,
587
01:38:24.230 --> 01:38:47.170
Community Hall: then how are those decisions being made? And we've had requests to have, you know, high-capacity transit in various areas. Does the data actually support that or not? And there's a lot of reasons why there's… having some more information and some training for what that information is good for, would… how that would benefit.
588
01:38:47.170 --> 01:38:53.260
Community Hall: the region, because we're spending a lot of money, and as we're seeing with the SPART
Silicon Valley,
58901:38:53.330 --> 01:38:57.190Community Hall: Up over $12 billion. And when this,
590
01:38:57.390 --> 01:39:04.080
Community Hall: When it finally, is completed, it will be, negative to,
59101:39:04.180 --> 01:39:09.949Community Hall: VTA, because they're going to take over operations and maintenance, from day one.
59201:39:11.030 --> 01:39:15.790
Community Hall: So, Madam City Clerk, do we have any members of the public who would like to speak on
this item?
59301:39:16.340 --> 01:39:24.609Community Hall: Yes, Mayor, I don't have any requests to speak here in person in Community Hall, but I do see one hand raised virtually, so at this time, we will go ahead and welcome Jennifer Griffin.
594
01:39:26.390 --> 01:39:28.559
Jennifer Griffin: Thank you. Can you all hear me?
59501:39:28.730 --> 01:39:29.500Community Hall: We can hear you.
59601:39:29.700 --> 01:39:45.939
Jennifer Griffin: Okay, thank you. I appreciate the grand jury's report on this. The grand jury is actually a
very, very old institution going back to, England in the 1400s. It was in…
59701:39:47.840 --> 01:40:00.549Jennifer Griffin: the United States, as it was in the 1700s when it emerged, and it's been maintained, and it has a valid place. I… I'm glad to see that there has been discussions about
598
01:40:01.110 --> 01:40:07.259
Jennifer Griffin: the process of assigning people to the VTA Advisory Board.
59901:40:07.400 --> 01:40:12.700Jennifer Griffin: where these people are coming from each city. Each city has valid input.
600
01:40:12.960 --> 01:40:17.290
Jennifer Griffin: Everyone is equal in this, because we are all…
60101:40:17.410 --> 01:40:23.760Jennifer Griffin: suffering traffic issues for various reasons, and I think that having,
602
01:40:23.850 --> 01:40:42.969
Jennifer Griffin: extra transit available is very, very important. I have been stuck up on the top of 17 multiple
times with the 17 transit bus that goes from Scotts Valley down near San Jose State, etc, and it's good to
have this type of
60301:40:43.170 --> 01:40:57.570Jennifer Griffin: Transit emerging, there is a new, transit that's coming out of Monterey that's going to be hopefully coming in to serve, people in Santa Cruz, down a, former railroad corridor.
604
01:40:57.690 --> 01:41:01.410
Jennifer Griffin: So we need to try to make sure that we're all
60501:41:02.030 --> 01:41:08.360Jennifer Griffin: having multiple ways of traveling. That, again, there are…
606
01:41:08.520 --> 01:41:19.980
Jennifer Griffin: we want to make sure that everyone gets a chance to be on the board, and I appreciate the
Vice Mayor's statement that it's a learning process. You may, you know, have just been elected, but
60701:41:20.300 --> 01:41:22.480Jennifer Griffin: Once you've been through
608
01:41:22.880 --> 01:41:35.239
Jennifer Griffin: the meetings about transit, you learn more about it. Everyone has good public input about it,
especially people that are going on to the transit.
60901:41:35.460 --> 01:41:47.789Jennifer Griffin: committees, and they may want to wind up on the boards, either here, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Alameda, etc. So, I think that trying to make an effort
610
01:41:48.000 --> 01:42:01.479
Jennifer Griffin: that everyone gets a chance to be on the board is very, very important, very, very fruitful. Plus, everyone that comes back from these meetings gets to report to the public about what we're doing with transit.
611
01:42:01.510 --> 01:42:14.269Jennifer Griffin: Transit isn't dead, it's… it's moving. We had a family member that actually came down from Walnut Creek on public… on transit, kind of got stuck, over the weekend, but she made it here.
612
01:42:14.270 --> 01:42:25.739
Jennifer Griffin: and was taken back in a car. So, I appreciate the fact that we're all connected, but I do
think that we need to make sure everyone gets a chance to be on this board.
61301:42:25.740 --> 01:42:26.550Jennifer Griffin: Thank you.
614
01:42:31.720 --> 01:42:38.119
Community Hall: Thank you, Jennifer. Mayor, that concludes the request to speak on this item. All right,
thank you. Councilmember Wong.
61501:42:40.820 --> 01:42:43.590Community Hall: I'm gonna say that oversight is really important here.
616
01:42:43.670 --> 01:43:00.429
Community Hall: I mean, this is the worst transit system in the country. 15,000 daily riders, 42 miles of
track, least used, most expensive to operate per trip. We need a lot of oversight, and I think it's important that oversight's in place. There are high subsidies here, 90% is not coming from fare box recovery, $13 billion…
61701:43:00.480 --> 01:43:18.039Community Hall: I mean, a BART extension being wasted, 5 cent tax with another 5 cents.05 cent tax
coming, this is horrible. And fragmented decision-making is part of it, there's no accountability. Whoever
goes to this board should be asking for accountability and making sure that either we get our money back,
our money's worth, or shut that thing down.
61801:43:20.180 --> 01:43:21.200Community Hall: Vice Mayor.
619
01:43:22.480 --> 01:43:38.169
Community Hall: Oh, yeah, agree. It's a… it's really an agency that needs a lot of work, and I have been…
this year, I've been using bus more. In fact, last week, I took bus…
62001:43:38.550 --> 01:43:55.209Community Hall: bus on 3 days. One's to Redwood City, one's to South San Jose, one's to the downtown San Jose. And… I enjoy the bus ride, however, there is a lot of barriers I had to go through, which I
621
01:43:55.660 --> 01:44:09.730
Community Hall: it was not… it was harder here, and Tina has to say that you are brave, because of those
barriers. That got me thinking, because I… I grew up taking buses in Taipei.
622
01:44:09.730 --> 01:44:19.440
Community Hall: And I… when I was in… we lived in Germany, we sold our car and then just started taking, transit, because it's so convenient. But here.
623
01:44:19.750 --> 01:44:28.060
Community Hall: It really takes a concerted effort to take the bus, because they don't… If you make any
mistake.
62401:44:28.450 --> 01:44:34.199Community Hall: The path to correct it, there, it's very difficult.
625
01:44:34.310 --> 01:44:45.539
Community Hall: And that's why the ridership is down, but I don't know whether the board, even with their
expertise, a lot of them might be very academic, do they even know?
62601:44:45.710 --> 01:44:51.789Community Hall: the user experience people have, I don't know. And… but I… I have a…
627
01:44:52.280 --> 01:44:58.250
Community Hall: just a question, I'm… I think we all are elected to the council, and a lot of us
62801:44:59.020 --> 01:45:02.270Community Hall: Have to also then sit on other committees.
62901:45:02.550 --> 01:45:11.420
Community Hall: And therefore, those elected council members who are appointed to VTA, who, like, they
have their other job, main job.
63001:45:11.830 --> 01:45:27.329Community Hall: they don't have a lot of time to really be devoted to VTA, so I wondered whether there should be a directly elected VTA board so that that elected official, maybe from the five-city area.
631
01:45:27.760 --> 01:45:39.649
Community Hall: is dedicated to VTA, and therefore they'll have time to study all the issues, get all the
trainings, and have maybe a 4-year term, and…
63201:45:39.860 --> 01:45:55.409Community Hall: And maybe if they do well, get re-elected. And there's accountability, because they are elected by the voters. So I looked up what other similar agencies have elected of directors, so BART
633
01:45:55.410 --> 01:46:04.830
Community Hall: in San Francisco, has elective directors, and the AC Transit also has elected, directors.
63401:46:05.210 --> 01:46:07.549Community Hall: And… and we have other…
63501:46:07.680 --> 01:46:15.680Community Hall: public utility, like water district, open space, and our sanitary district, and so…
636
01:46:15.890 --> 01:46:21.289
Community Hall: So, that might be something, too, worth considering, if we want to…
63701:46:21.410 --> 01:46:24.850Community Hall: commit… I think it's more commitment, not…
638
01:46:25.110 --> 01:46:33.270
Community Hall: Expertise before I get on the job. Commitment to spend time to study those issues when
you're on that board.
63901:46:33.560 --> 01:46:42.139Community Hall: But to ask someone who is already a council member to have that commitment, It's hard. Yeah. They do.
640
01:46:45.500 --> 01:47:02.329
Community Hall: Vice Mayor, thank you for that last part. Assemblymember Berman has, in the past few
years, put forward two different bills trying to, see if there could be some improvement to the makeup of the board, and, you know, perhaps we want to
64101:47:02.410 --> 01:47:15.080Community Hall: think about this moving forward. Make sure we think that, yeah. Because another issue is if we were appointed by a city, I mean, even if it's appointed by one of the five cities.
642
01:47:15.430 --> 01:47:21.339Community Hall: Usually, that member does not communicate with these other four cities.
64301:47:21.480 --> 01:47:36.170Community Hall: So they only really are there to represent their own city, because there is no mechanism for them to even communicate or get input from the other four cities they are supposed to represent. So the
current structure
64401:47:36.170 --> 01:47:43.109Community Hall: Does this have some issue, yeah. Thank you. So do we have a motion to move the recommended action on this item?
64501:47:43.490 --> 01:47:45.710
Community Hall: So moved. And a second?
64601:47:46.080 --> 01:47:46.840Community Hall: Second.
647
01:47:49.910 --> 01:47:52.000Community Hall: We have a second from Councilmember…
648
01:47:54.510 --> 01:47:57.590
Community Hall: Okay, do we have any further comments?
64901:47:59.100 --> 01:48:00.280Community Hall: Vice Mayor.
65001:48:01.110 --> 01:48:08.110
Community Hall: So, just want to… it's something I said earlier, I'm a little concerned with, the…
651
01:48:08.210 --> 01:48:21.289Community Hall: the lengthy, description of the requirement of expertise in the response, and like I mentioned, I think I'm concerned that might be a way to exclude people and,
65201:48:22.050 --> 01:48:33.639
Community Hall: before… but if there is a uniform process with public oversight, people have submitted their
application, and then… I would trust that that
65301:48:33.790 --> 01:48:34.960Community Hall: Bored…
65401:48:35.060 --> 01:48:42.500
Community Hall: Who makes the decision to appoint, we'll look at the qualification and find the best one that
has applied.
65501:48:42.610 --> 01:48:50.329Community Hall: But I don't want to exclude someone to say, you can't apply because you did not do this.
65601:48:52.240 --> 01:49:07.400
Community Hall: But maybe they have expertise. There are, a lot of times, multiple ways to have expertise
on the subject without, one specific experience, so I'm a little concerned how that might…
65701:49:08.540 --> 01:49:19.739Community Hall: be… formulated as expertise, yeah. So, but, it's okay, we… it will just go as a response.
65801:49:19.900 --> 01:49:24.329
Community Hall: Vice Mayor, with regards to that, it's kind of interesting…
659
01:49:24.410 --> 01:49:29.449Community Hall: Because in practice, what we're seeing is that it could mean
660
01:49:29.450 --> 01:49:46.130
Community Hall: there's some educational or work experience background, or it could mean that it's somebody who's using transit. And I've seen it, at least on the Policy Advisory Committee, that it can go either way. So it could be someone that's got more experience about
661
01:49:46.140 --> 01:49:55.100
Community Hall: where the trouble spots are within the system, because they are using it quite a lot. And so
that… it… it hasn't…
66201:49:55.200 --> 01:50:16.119Community Hall: It's probably pretty unlikely that it would end up being skewed just towards, especially since it's… the individuals with that education and background are so few and far between, that you're probably going to be relying more on individuals who have a working knowledge of the system, and
hopefully are willing to, have some training.
66301:50:16.120 --> 01:50:19.119Community Hall: But it's a… I hear what you're saying, I think it's a really good point.
66401:50:20.060 --> 01:50:28.380Community Hall: Right now, I'm not seeing any further hands raised, so Madam City Clerk, will you please
set the voting panel, and we will vote with our lights?
66501:50:34.080 --> 01:50:38.839Community Hall: The motion carries unanimously. All right, thank you. So,
66601:50:39.700 --> 01:50:53.480Community Hall: We have no items removed from consent. Items 14 through 16 are informational in nature,
so you may read those in your free time. And with that, this September 1st, 2026 regular meeting of the
Cupertino City Council is adjourned.