CC 01-30-2023 and
CC 01-31-2023
#1
Commissions Interviews
Updated Attachment A –
Interview Schedule for January 30,
2023 reflecting a correction to the
recommended Arts & Culture
appointment terms
Desk Item
COMMISSION INTERVIEW SCHEDULE Monday, January 30, 2023
1/31/2023
Time Name Candidates Other Notes:
1 5:40 PM Te jesh Mistry Planning
2 5:47 PM Connie Cunnin gham Incumbent
Vote for 1 full term ending 1/30/27 and any alternates
Time Name Candidates Other
Choice Notes:
1 5:54 PM Jack Carter Incumbent
2 6:01 PM Bala Ram
3 6:08 PM
Ravi Sapaharam
4 6:15 PM Rani Agrawal Arts & Culture
5 6:22 PM Sundar Narayanan Parks & Rec
6 6:29 PM John Zhao Planning
7 6:36 PM Jennifer Shearin Parks & Rec
8 6:43 PM Seema Lindskog Planning
9 6:50 PM Herve Marcy
10 6:57 PM Joel Wolf
11 7:04 PM Sreekanth (Sree) Bhaskar TICC
12 7:11 PM Ravi Kumar TICC
7:18 PM 10 minute break
Vote for 3 full terms ending 1/30/27 and any alternates Time Name Candidates Other
Choice Notes:
1 7:28 PM
Mehrnaz Heda TICC withdrew
2 7:35 PM Bijoya Saha Zoom ?
3 7:42 PM Rani Agrawal Bike Ped Zoom
4 7:49 PM Latha Subramanian
5 7:56 PM Kiran Varshneya ROHRA
6 8:03 PM David Wang Parks & Rec
7 8:10 PM Dana Ford Planning
8:17 PM 5 minute break
Vote for 3 full term ending 1/30/27 and any alternates
Vote for 1 partial term ending 1/30/25 to fill vacancy from Commissioner Madhusudan Tare; and Vote for 2 full terms ending 1/30/27 and any alternates
HOUSING COMMISSION
1 available seat (residency requirement for four out of five members; Business representative must be from a Cupertino-based business)
BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION
3 available seats (residency requirement for all five members)
ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION
3 available seats (residency requirement for three out of five members)
CC 01-30-2023 and 01-31-2023 Desk Item
- Updated attachment A
COMMISSION INTERVIEW SCHEDULE Monday, January 30, 2023
Time Name Candidates Other
Choice Notes:
1 8:22 PM Manjari Asawa Planning
2 8:29 PM Naidu Bollineni Incumbent
3 8:36 PM Prabir Mohan Incumbent
4 8:43 PM Mukesh Garg Incumbent
5 8:50 PM
Mehrnaz Heda Arts & Culture withdrew
6 8:57 PM Gopal Kumarappan Parks & Rec ZOOM
7 9:04 PM Sanjiv Kapil Planning
8 9:11 PM Sreekanth (Sree) Bhaskar Bike Ped
9 9:18 PM Emma Shearin
10 9:25 PM Ravi Kumar Bike Ped
Vote for 3 full terms ending 1/30/27 and any alternates
TICC COMMISSION
3 available seats (residency requirement for all five members)
CC 1-30-2023
Item No. 1
Commission Interviews
Written Communications
From: Jean Bedord
To: City Council; Cupertino City Manager"s Office; City Clerk Subject: Commission appointments - Jennifer Shearin for Parks & Recreation / Bicycle Pedestrian Commissions Date: Monday, January 30, 2023 12:29:43 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Honorable Mayor Hung Wei, Vice-Mayor Sheila Mohan and Councilmembers It is my pleasure to strongly recommend Jennifer Shearin as a commissioner for both the Parks and Recreation Commission and Bicycle Pedestrian Commission for the city of Cupertino.
As a long time resident of Cupertino, I was introduced to Jennifer when she started attending city council meetings and advocating for bicycle improvements in the city to improve quality of life for our residents from school-age students to seniors. I was impressed by her leadership and community engagement for these efforts, as well as her involvement in the advocacy group Walk Bike Cupertino.
Jennifer is deeply engaged with all age groups in her faith community, and is particularly familiar with the needs of seniors, which fall under the purview of Parks and Recreation with the Senior Center. She has served as chair of St. Jude's Governing Board, which demonstrates recognition of her leadership skills. Her insight into the needs of seniors is a valuable contribution as Parks and Recreation needs to adjust to our aging population, with approximately one-third of households in Cupertino having a resident over the age of 60.
Parks and Rec could also benefit from better cost-benefit decision making, and Jennifer's MBA degree and oversight of church finances provide a good background for making improvements. In addition, she has an automotive engineering degree so can understand the technical details.
Jennifer has been actively engaged in recent civic projects, from providing input to the Housing Element, supporting the Westport project, chairing Festivals, and making recommendations for Memorial Park and newly acquired Lawrence-Mitty Park.
I've been impressed by Jennifer's energy and commitment to volunteering. She has been a stellar volunteer for school PTAs, Girl Scouts, and Tournament of Bands. Now that her daughters have graduated from high school, she has time to contribute that same energy to the broader community through service on city wide organizations.
For these reasons, I recommend appointing Jennifer to one of these commissions, so our city can benefit from her leadership.
Warm regards,
Jean Bedord
Cupertino resident
From: Richard Lowenthal
To: City Clerk; City Council
Cc: R
Subject: Commission Recommendation
Date: Monday, January 30, 2023 10:04:04 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Honorable Councilmembers and Mayor Wei,
I am writing in strong support of Jennifer Shearin’s application to be a commissioner for the City of Cupertino on either the Parks and Recreation Commission or on the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission. I have worked with Jennifer on several local projects and have followed her extensive efforts and advocacy toward a more livable Cupertino.
It is abundantly clear that Jennifer is passionate about her work to improve her local community. She has been a tireless advocate for improved access to our parks and for adding new trails and safe biking spaces to our city, both highly desired by Cupertino residents. After walking the pathway for what would eventually be the Linda Vista trail, she successfully spearheaded advocacy efforts to build the trail with the Friends of Stevens Creek Trail and with fellow Walk-Bike Cupertino Board members. The Linda Vista trail now connects Linda Vista Park with McClellan Ranch, increasing park connectivity and recreational possibilities for Cupertino residents significantly.
I have been impressed with how much Jennifer has accomplished in our community since moving to Cupertino a bit over ten years ago. She has a clear record of leadership on local non-profits, on community organizations, as a former commissioner and for large local events. People enjoy working with her and will go the extra mile because they feel empowered and inspired by her vision. She cares about her community and truly listens to fellow residents about their concerns, while still making the tough decisions when needed.
Much of the work that Jennifer has completed will be enjoyed by future Cupertino residents. One notable example is the Regnart Creek Trail (RCT). Without her personal and tireless input and advocacy efforts over many years, it would never have been built. The RCT, soon to open, will connect three city parks and boasts a multitude of other benefits for the community including increased healthy recreation and a connection to protected bike lanes to increase transportation sustainability. Local residents are eagerly awaiting its opening.
I have every confidence that Jennifer is the best candidate for the Parks and Recreation Commission or the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission in 2023. I strongly encourage you to appoint her. This appointment will give her a new opportunity to continue her hard work on behalf of all residents and, in turn, she will be a great asset to these commissions.
Sincerely,
Richard Lowenthal
former Mayor of Cupertino
Sent from my iPhone