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 1-31-2023
Item No. 1
Commission Interviews
Written Communications
From: Liana Crabtree
To: Hung Wei; Sheila Mohan; Liang Chao; J.R. Fruen; Kitty Moore Cc: City Clerk
Subject: written communication, 1/31/2023, Commissioner Appointments, Qin Pan for Library Commission Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2023 12:12:56 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 Wei, Vice Mayor Mohan, Council Members Chao, Fruen, and Moore:
Please include my letter as written communication for the 1/31/2023 Council meeting to select City Commissioners (Agenda Item 1).
I am writing to request that Council re-appoint Qin Pan to the Library Commission for a second term.
I was fortunate to serve with Qin Pan on the Library Commission from 2019 to 2021. During her first term, Commissioner Pan was selected to serve as Library Commission Chair twice and was an integral part of the successful donor wall campaign to support the library program room addition.
The Cupertino Library and Library Commission are in a state of flux: new leadership in the Park and Recreation Department, new interim Community Librarian as Clare Varesio advances to a district-wide position, and the inauguration of a Poet Laureate—all happening within just the last few months.
All current Library Commissioners who are not up for re-appointment are serving their first term. Commissioner Rahul Vasanth has decided not to seek re-appointment.
Please help the Library Commission navigate this time of multiple transitions by re-appointing dedicated Cupertino Library champion Commissioner Qin Pan for the 2023-2027 term.
Sincerely,
Liana Crabtree
Cupertino
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
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: Dan Marshall <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2023 1:37 PM
To: Lauren Sapudar <[email protected]>
Subject: Interview notes. Planning and Parks/Rec. Dan Marshall
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.
Hi Lauren,
Thank you for scheduling my interviews for Tuesday due to my conflict on Monday.
I've attached my interview notes in case you wish to share them with the interviewers.
Dan Marshall
408-859-6628
See a brief video about a promising approach to addressing climate change.
1. Have you attended a meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission in the last three months?
No
2. Why do you want to be a Parks and Recreation Commissioner? Because when I look at our neighboring city’s parks, they look totally awesome compared to Cupertinos’
Also, when I travel to other countries such as Ecuador I see delightful recreation events that bring communities together and cost almost nothing.
3. The Parks and Recreation Commission is advisory to the City Council on matters pertaining to Parks and Recreation. The Commission often takes public comment and considers the input in formulating recommendations to the Council. Have you ever served in a similar capacity?
● Not exactly, I served in several roles on the Cupertino Hills Swim and Tennis Club Board of Directors, which is somewhat similar
● If so, what is the most important lesson you learned from the experience? Listen to others. Look for lines of common interest and passion. Get stuff done.
4. Based upon your knowledge of the Cupertino Recreation Department, which facility do you feel is most under utilized or which type of recreation facility do you feel is lacking in the Community?
● I think that the most underutilized is Somerset Square Park. ● The type of recreation facility which is missing is free community dance-aerobics.
5. What is your understanding regarding commission versus staff’s role in providing programming, activities, and events for the Community?
● The commission does strategy proposals to the City Council, and proposes budgets. ● The staff are responsible for execution and day to day management.
6. If you could accomplish one thing next year on this commission, what would it be?
● I would like to set up one free dance-aerobics in one park. The City would provide a sound system, the space, and hire a dance-aerobics instructor. It might start on Saturdays and Wednesdays in Memorial Park at 8:30 AM for one hour. Perhaps in a parking lot. It would be free to anyone and all ages/genders would be encouraged. If successful it could spread to other parks and other times.
QUESTIONS FOR PLANNING COMMISSION APPLICANTS
1. What is your vision for Cupertino over the next ten years? ● Cupertino used to be full of orchards and ranch houses. ● Now it is tract single family dwellings.
● My vision of Cupertino in 10 years is that we have a plan for building micro neighborhoods. These neighborhoods would consist of open spaces with 6-8 story tall buildings around them and underground parking.
● Some of the buildings have shops and small restaurants on the bottom floor. ● Clearly, in 10 years the whole city won’t be like this, but there will be a few. These few will be very popular so it will be economically feasible for developers to buy up sets of tract houses, and build these micro neighborhoods.
● The reason for 6-8 stories tall is that, as I understand it, this is as high as you can build using wood. Higher than that and you need steel. Steel is not feasible from a Global Warming perspective. Also, buildings that are 6-8 stories tall, with solar covering the roof, should be nearly self sufficient from an energy perspective.
2. What are your views on affordable housing?
● The only path I can see to affordable housing is a combination of tall, dense apartment buildings with fairly small rooms near highways for families, plus ADUs for individuals.
3. Other than providing additional housing at a range of income levels, what do you consider the major planning/land use issues that the City and region need to address in the next decade?
● Many small open space areas close enough to housing so that families can walk to their local park.
● Transportation. Personally I think the car is here to stay but we need smaller electric cars. Perhaps two or more small cars could be hitched together so a family could travel together.
4. Since there is no vacant land in Cupertino, most new development in the City will be “infill” – i.e., replace and densify existing uses. How do you think we should reconcile the concerns of residents near whom this type of development may occur?
● If we can get one project done, and show that a community combining young and old can be created, the NIMBYs will be begging for similar changes in their neighborhood. ● Currently the economics lead to elderly couples staying in their family home. If they could move to a place with better elderly support, young kids around to watch and play with, and a sense of multi-generation community, many elderly would be delighted by the change.
● We need to lobby the State and Federal government to eliminate the benefits of a couple living until death in a large house. I’m talking about Prop 13, and the fact that all appreciation is wiped out when the owner dies, so capital gains are currently eliminated.
These benefits result in elderly staying in their home until they die.
5. What are some recent developments in the Bay Area that you like and why? Do you think they would fit in Cupertino? If not, why? ● Good question. I’ve seen some in Mountain View and Sunnyvale, but I don’t know their names.
6. How do you view the role of the Planning Commission? If the Council sets a policy that you do not agree with, would you support It?
● The Planning Commission provides advice to the City Council related particularly to plans for new development and any City laws related to building codes. These policies eventually determine the character of the city.
● Significant projects may be approved or disapproved by the planning commission.
Generally this is done by comparing the proposal to the agreed upon general plan. ● Yes, the Planning Commission works for the City Council. If I disagreed with a City Council I would first discuss our difference of opinion. If our disagreement remained I would choose whether to support the Council’s opinion, or quit.
7. Please describe your understanding of the planning function in local Government.
● The planning function in local government is charged with laying out where the major components will be. These components include transit lines, schools, fire stations, single story homes, apartment buildings, and condo’s.
8. If you could accomplish one thing next year on this commission, what would it be? ● We would make progress toward the transition from a bedroom community for families to a city in which a wide variety of family units live and work.
9. What qualities do you possess that make you the right candidate for this commission? ● I am very open to the possibility that the future will be very different from the past.
10. What is more important in your consideration of a proposed project – your viewpoint or objectives, following the letter of the General Plan and existing City policy, or the needs of the greater community? ● In general, the most important thing is to follow the General Plan. ● At the same time, we need to constantly evaluate whether the General Plan is meeting the needs of the City.
11. Please describe, as concisely as possible, your basic philosophical position regarding past, present and future growth within the City of Cupertino. ● Cupertino is a wonderful city with exceptional weather, endless trails to the West, and proximity to employment opportunities, recreation opportunities, and cultural assets such as museums.
● There is pressure to grow, and we are unable to do so if we stick with single family homes on quarter acre lots.
● To resolve this pressure I think that we need to build, not just for tomorrow. We need to set in place building standards that will meet our needs for a long time. I would be happy to see six to eight story buildings with green space in between. ● We are looking at a future in which global warming is a more and more dominant element. We must plan both to reduce our City’s carbon footprint, and to mitigate the effects of global warming such as severe storms and droughts.
12. Being a Planning Commissioner involves a lot of reading, including plan reading. Describe your experience with plan reading and Understanding.
● To be honest, I am a very slow reader - perhaps half the average speed.
The Planning Commission is subject to the Political Reform Act and members are required to submit Statements of Economic Interest upon appointment and annually thereafter.
● This should not be an issue.