CC Resolution No. 18-083 to Join the Santa Clara, Santa Cruz Community RoudtableRESOLUTION NO. 18-083
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CUPERTINO
TO JOIN THE SANTA CLARA/SANT A CRUZ COMMUNITY ROUNDT ABLE
WHEREAS, a critical need exists in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties for a
permanent venue to address aircraft noise concerns and it is essential to include all
unrepresented cities in these counties; and
WHEREAS, In July 2017, the Cities Association of Santa Clara County received a
Congressional request by Representatives Eshoo, Khanna, Panetta to take a leadership
role in developing an intergovernmental partnership between the cities and counties of
Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties, Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport
(SJC), and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) that will serve as a permanent
aircraft noise mitigation entity representing all affected communities in the South Bay
and Santa Cruz County; and
WHEREAS, between May and November 2016, the Select Committee on South Bay
Arrivals, a temporary committee of 12 local elected officials (Select Committee) appointed
by Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo, Congressman Sam Farr, and Congresswoman Jackie
Speier, convened meetings to receive public input and develop regional consensus on
recommendations to reduce aircraft noise caused by SFO flights and airspace, and
procedural changes related to the Federal Aviation Administration's Next Generation Air
Transportation System; and
WHEREAS, among the many recommendations that received unanimous
approval by the Select Committee was the need for a permanent venue to represent
currently disenfranchised communities in addressing aircraft noise concerns including,
but not limited to SFO . This recommendation stems from the fact that our mutual
constituents in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties, do not currently belong to a
permanent aircraft noise mitigation entity such as the SFO Airport/Community
Roundtable; and
WHEREAS, on October 3, 2017, the San Jose City Council authorized the Ad Hoc
Advisory Committee on South Flow Arrivals to explore possible solutions to address the
noise impacts on residents when weather conditions over the airfield require the Airport
to operate in a "south flow" configuration (when aircraft land from the north of the
Airport instead of the usual landing from the south); and
Resolution No. 18-083
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WHEREAS, since both the Select Committee and the South Flow Ad Hoc
Roundtable have disbanded, the Santa Clara/Santa Cruz Roundtable envisioned by the
Cities Association would likely be viewed as an appropriate surrogate for this function
in partnership with the SFO Roundtable, SFO and San Jose Mineta Airports; and
WHEREAS, there is significant demand for an aircraft noise mitigation entity to
represent constituents in the South Bay, making it imperative that any potential body not
be confined to SJC or SFO related issues and also include representation of all affected
and currently unrepresented communities in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties; and
WHEREAS, while participation by elected officials in each affected city is essential,
it is critical that the establishment of such a body should not be unilaterally implemented
by one city, but instead be led collectively by the entire affected region; and
WHEREAS, in the FAA's November 2017 Phase Two Report , the FAA reiterates
it will not support solutions that result in shifting the problem of noise from one
community to another. It also repeatedly identifies increased flying distance as an
unacceptable outcome of many community-proposed solutions that conflict with the
economic, environmental, and operational efficiency benefits gained from shorter flying
distances; and
WHEREAS, the FAA repeatedly points to the anticipated inevitability of
increases in congestion as airports increase their number of flight operations. The report
explicitly states it will not move forward on certain feasible recommendations "until
issues of congestion, noise shifting and flying distance have been addressed with the
airline stakeholders and the affected communities by the Select Committee and/or SFO
Roundtable"; and
WHEREAS, each jurisdiction is just one of over 100 municipalities in the Bay
Area. The ability of any single community, whether 30,000 or 60,000, to influence the
complex operations of a federal agency serving a region of 8 million people is limited;
and
WHEREAS, the impacts of airplane noise must be considered amid the
competing interests of the flying public, airline industry priorities, airport operational
requirements, broader economic and environmental impacts and, above all else, safety.
The successful navigation of these public interest challenges requires effective
collaboration; and
Resolution No. 18-083
Pa ge 3
WHEREAS, to ensure equitable regional representation, each city and county
should have the opportunity to appoint one Member and one Alternate who are local
elected officials to serve on the body, elect their own leadership, and participate in
helping to fund the effort just as the SFO Airport/Community Round table does. Once it
is conceived, the newly formed South Bay Airport Round table could also work with the
SFO Airport/Community Roundtable to establish a joint subcommittee to address
complex overlapping issues related to the Mid peninsula; and
WHEREAS, the Cities Association of Santa Clara County is seeking each
jurisdiction of Santa Clara County and Santa Cruz County to collaborate with
neighboring jurisdictions thr ough the formation of a community roundtables to most
effectively address the community impacts of aircraft operations and work with the
Federal Aviation Association (FAA).
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of
Cupertino does hereby support formation of an intergovernmental partnership between
the cities and counties of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties, Norman Y. Mineta San
Jose International Ai rport (S J C), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and the FAA,
that will serve as a permanent aircraft noise mitigation entity representing all affected
communities in the Santa Cl ara and Santa Cruz Counties; and directs the City Manager
to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the City of Cupertino.
PASSES AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of
Cupertino this 21 st day of August, 2018, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT :
ABSTAIN:
ATTEST:
Member s of the City Council
Paul, Sinks, Chang, Scharf, Vaidhyanathan
None
None
None
APPROVED:
Grace Schmidt, City Clerk ~~Paul,MfF_v
City of Cupertino