CC 05-26-2021 Proposed FY 2021-2022 City Work Program_Late Written CommunicationsCC 05-26-2021
#1
Proposed FY 2021-
2022 CIty Work
Program
Written Comments
1
Cyrah Caburian
From:Jean Bedord <Jean@bedord.com>
Sent:Wednesday, May 26, 2021 5:03 PM
To:City Clerk
Subject:Public comment for the Special Meeting tonight
Attachments:Bedord Council - 2021-05-26 Oral Communication.pptx
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HI,
Could you put up this PPT when I speak tonight at the special meeting? I definitely have some opinions about the new
projects on the work plan.
Thanks much.
Warm regards,
Jean Bedord
Cell: 408‐966‐6174 / Land line: 408‐252‐5220
Council Work-Study Program
•Jean Bedord
•Cupertino City Council
•May 26, 2021
Responsible Support of Education
Resource (mis)management by council
•City manager
•Deb Feng resignation –4 city managers in 3 year
•Two city managers resigned during Darcy Paul’s watch
•No new city attorney -contract attorneys setting city up for
expensive lawsuits
•Unrealistic city work plan given lack of senior staff
•Housing Element and Vallco under resourced
•Newly proposed projects are overly expensive in terms of staff and
General Fund monies
Last minute additions to the city work program
that do NOT benefit residents
•$250,000 for a 4th of July drone show in 2022 (not 2021) instead of $82,500 for a
traditional fireworks. Is “sizzle” worth the cost for perhaps 30 minutes of
show??????
•$300,00 for Council / Commission engagement in 2021. Why? Comparison:
•City spent $229,017 for Small Business Relief Grants (37 businesses) in 2020
•City provided $100,000 for Rental Assistance on 2020
•$100,00 for to renovate Chamber of Commerce to include Cupertino
merchandise –building not owned by the city.
Reduce the City Work Plan to realistic levels AND clear benefits
to RESIDENTS, not make work for staff and commissions
May 26, 2021
Good evening, Mayor Paul and council members,
My name is Jean Bedord and I am a resident of Cupertino. I am here to
express my concerns with regard to the Work Program that you are
considering tonight. I feel it was unrealistic to begin with, and even
more so with the resignation today of our City Manager, Deb Feng, who
so capably managed city operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Next slide
The first issue is mismanagement by this council. Council is responsible
for hiring two people: the city manager and the city attorney. Now
there are vacancies at both positions, which is not good for our city.
The council’s track record retaining senior staff is frankly, abysmal.
The work program for the upcoming year leaves both the mandatory
Housing Element and Vallco under resourced in favor of individual
council members projects. Suddenly new projects appear on the plan
that have not been rated by the other council members or subjected to
public scrutiny before tonight. What happened to the promise of
transparency?
Next slide
Now let’s look at those last-minute projects. They involve a lot of
money from the General Fund. I have to question $250,00 for a gee-
whiz drone show for the 4th of July, instead of our traditional fireworks.
I have to question an additional $300,00 for council/commission
engagement during 2021. The city spent less than that to aid small
businesses in 2020. They also spent less money than that for rental
assistance. Both of these benefitted our residents. But $300,000 on
undefined projects? Makes no sense to me.
Then there is the $100,000 for the Chamber of Commerce building.
What is the justification for renovating a building not owned by the
city??? This is very questionable.
My ask of this council is to reduce the work plan to more realistic levels
and make sure that each project has a benefit to residents, not make
work for staff and commissions. The city is short-staffed as it is, and
the situation will be worse with the loss of leadership.
Thank you.
1
Cyrah Caburian
From:City of Cupertino Written Correspondence
Subject:FW: Comments for tonight's city council meetings
From: Claudio Bono <cbono@cghotelgroup.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2021 4:31 PM
To: City Council <CityCouncil@cupertino.org>
Subject: Comments for tonight's city council meetings
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Please add the below written comments for tonight's agenda.
I will be present on the zoom call and speak when the item agenda allows 3 min for residents.
Thank you.
Claudio
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
Mayor Darcy Paul, Vice Mayor, City Council, City staff,
My name is Claudio Bono. I am the General Manager at The Cupertino Hotel & The Grand Hotel
Sunnyvale, and a proud Cupertino resident.
Hotels are my passion. When working in the hospitality industry, you never just represent your
Hotel... You represent the destination. That is why I support the allocation for the Cupertino
visitor center and Mayor's cup initiative. It is a good great start to doing meaningful things for
our local economy. It will help if we bring individuals that have a working understanding of the
hospitality industry & retail when it comes to economic development. It has all its advantages.
Hotels do not just fill up with corporate 7 day 7. That's why the leisure market is
important. Weekend travelers are the one that will come and see what our city has to
offer. After all, travelers in Cupertino can:
visit our local shops,
go to the local market,
eat at restaurants in downtown Cupertino,
find Apple signs & take pictures
play a little golf.
visit our Cupertino wineries
and soon, maybe bring some souvenirs home.
There is a demand for up to a 2‐week program to stay in our city, but nobody knows outside
our city or state who to contact, what to do, where to go or where to stay. No guidance. That's
2
why the creation of the visitor's bureau is crucial and urgently needed. Small town have their
own visitor's bureau and yet count maybe only a population of 4000, so it's time we do it. I fully
support Mayor's Paul's thoughtful initiative, which clearly reflect his prior leadership as former
President of the Cupertino chamber of commerce. The community can and should work
together and this is exactly the way we should be doing it. Instead of tearing each other down,
this is how we can build each other up.
It will provide a place where our City can be represented. A place where information can be
given. A better and organized network can begin.
Enclosing, my wish, in the long run, is to have The Greater Cupertino convention and visitor's
bureau. All our local businesses (small, medium, or large) will benefit from it & provide
information to all our visitors that wants to know more regarding our city. Also reclaim our title
of Silicon Valley... last, wouldn't it be great to have a dedicated space in our city where people
around the world can celebrate what we are known for? place where tourist can take pictures
with the Apple or Facebook sign in 1 main area.. so that pictures can be taken with
location...and showcased worldwide through social media. Cupertino is Silicon Valley and
Silicon Valley is Cupertino.
I am very passionate about this subject. So much more need to be done but this is a great start.
I strongly recommend we move forward. Let me know if you have questions. Thank you.
Kind regards,
Claudio
Claudio Bono
Area Hotel General Manager
The Cupertino Hotel & The Grand
Silicon Valley's Nr 1 Deluxe Boutique Hotels
Ranked #1 Hotels on Tripadvisor!
http://www.Cupertino‐Hotel.com
http://www.svGrandHotel.com
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1
Cyrah Caburian
From:Connie Cunningham <cunninghamconniel@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, May 26, 2021 7:55 PM
To:City Council
Cc:Cunningham Connie
Subject:May 26, 2021 City Work Plan, support for Items 2, 6 & 7
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May 26, 2021 City Work Plan
Dear Mayor, Vice‐Mayor and Councilmembers:
I agree with resident, Jean Bedord on hearing about City Manager Deb Feng. I am, also, sorry to see Deb Feng leaving
the City Manager position. She has led the City admirably during the COVID crisis. This is a very big loss to Cupertino.
In regard to the City Work Plan, I am happy to see that the ELI housing remains on the Work Plan as Item #2 This Work
Item has made good progress in the past two years since Mayor Scharf initially led with putting it on the City Work Plan.
*(Extremely Low Income/Intellectually Developmentally Disabled). Cupertino’s General Plan clearly states the City’s
interest in providing housing for all incomes and abilities. Without it, many, many residents who have been waiting for
this housing would be left without options near their families, current jobs, schools and services.
I appreciate Councilmember Wei’s request to clarify that ELI and BMR housing are begin considered in this work
item. The original ELI project is for Intellectually Developmentally Disabled people. The Outback Steakhouse project, on
the other hand, is very recent and is a collaborative project with Santa Clara County. It is just at the beginning stages of
planning. I urge the City to make continued progress on the original ELI/Intellectually Developmentally Disabled project,
since it has two years of progress behind it.
Items 6 & 7, Plan to End Homelessness. I urge the Council to keep this work as a priority during deliberations
tonight. COVID‐19 has increased the number of people suffering homelessness. Building housing is the most effective
method to improve this situation. While working on that most basic method, also, funding services for helping those
who suffer homelessness is vital.
Note that within that Plan to End Homelessness, locations for affordable housing are key to solving this seemingly
intractable problem. Funding for building homes has been made available from the State, the County, non‐profit and
for‐profit organizations. We must find locations.
One data point from the current General Plan is this: Between 2010 and 2040, Cupertino’s population is expected to
grow by 12,898 residents—from 58,302 to 71,200.
I urge the Council to maintain the high priority of these items during deliberations this evening.
Sincerely,
Connie Cunningham
2
Chair,Housing Commission, Self Only
1
Cyrah Caburian
From:Jennifer Griffin <grenna5000@yahoo.com>
Sent:Wednesday, May 26, 2021 8:12 PM
To:City Council; City Clerk
Cc:City of Cupertino Planning Commission; grenna5000@yahoo.com
Subject:RHNA Numbers a Joke
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Dear City Council:
The RHNA numbers that HCD and ABAG and MTC are requiring for Cupertino
are a total joke. These numbers are pulled out of thin air. They make
no sense.
HCD and ABAG and MTC are being manipulated by big money donors to
control our elected politicians to go their bidding.
Cities in California and neighborhoods in California appear to the current
targets of these private money controls.
The outrageous RGNA numbers generated by this politician for hire
mentality is a severe impediment to cities and residents in cities
and neighborhoods in California to exercise their democratic rights to
express their opinions and protect their local control.
The people of California should not be used as subjects of social engineering
as seems to be happening with the attempts to take away local control
from cities and their residents.
What will happen next? Will our state constitution be taken away and our
state Supreme Court disbanded?
Will our state democracy be taken away? To be replaced by what and by whom?
Manufactured, unrealistic RHNA numbers for every city in California is a
direct attempt to control cities and take away local control. In democraces
we have local control and we have local control in our cities and our neighborhoods.
I don't believe democracy has been ceded yet in California. Made up,
manufactured RHNA numbers are trying to make cities cede their democratic
voice.
Cities in California and residents in cities and neighborhoods in California must keep
their voice and exercise it.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Griffin
1
Cyrah Caburian
From:Jennifer Griffin <grenna5000@yahoo.com>
Sent:Wednesday, May 26, 2021 8:40 PM
To:City Council; City Clerk
Cc:City of Cupertino Planning Commission; grenna5000@yahoo.com
Subject:ABAG and MTC and HCD Interfering In City Politics
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sender and know the content is safe.
Dear City Council:
The entities of ABAG and MTC and HCD are interfering in the politics
and operation of cities in California. These public entities, supposedly,
operating under democratic guidelines, are being manipulated by private
parties and influenced by private money donations from questionable
"charities". No one knows the motivation of these "charities". What is their
plan? To take over the state? To control all decisions on land control
themselves? To make the inhabitants of California puppets, with no
local control of neighborhood or city? To build high density housing on
every unstable hillside or state beach in California? Who gets the money
from this? The "charities" who act as the puppet master in some sort of
pseudo "dictatorship"? A dictatorship in California in the United States?
I believe that the state constitution operates the state as a democracy..
That is what every child learns in school in California. If this has changed,
we, the citizens, need to know about it. Are these supposed "charities"
deciding to do away with the state democracy? What planet did they come
from? Why do they know better how to run this state, then the people who
live here, who are living in the cities and the neighborhoods?
Do the "charities" have a problem with the cities and the neighborhoods
and the people who live in the cities and the neighborhoods? Wow! That
is a lot of nerve. Who asked them to run the state?
I think we need to have a public discussion about what is happening to local
control in this state, and why entities like ABAG and MTC and HCD are
not longer public, democratic entities, but are now the tools of the undemocratic
"charities"..
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Griffin
1
Cyrah Caburian
From:Jenny Griffin <grenna5000@yahoo.com>
Sent:Wednesday, May 26, 2021 9:25 PM
To:City Council; City Clerk
Cc:City of Cupertino Planning Commission; grenna5000@yahoo com
Subject:If RHNA and Housing Element Eats Up Staff Time, Hire More Staff
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Dear City Council:
If the RHNA Housing Element Fake Number Drama is going to take up all of the Staff time, we will have to hire more staff
to deal with it. It seems to be the state's Intent to destroy cities with the fake RHNA numbers. Cities will have to fight
back by Hiring more staff so that the entire city business and operation is not bogged down Dealing with the irrational
fool's errand of the unattainable RHNA number drama.
Obviously, those who have created these irrational RHNA numbers, want to waste the city's Time. It appears to be some
sort of game for them. The city does not have time to play These games with them, and has real business to attend to.
Maybe the city should hire Babysitters to play games with the RHNA folks, while the city conducts its real business As a
city.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Griffin