CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting: June 6, 2023
Subject
Consider receiving staff responses to questions received from Councilmembers during Proposed Budget Study Session.
Recommended Action
Consider receiving staff responses to questions received from Councilmembers during Proposed Budget Study Session.
Background:
Staff’s responses to questions received from councilmembers are shown in italics.
Q1: Sister Cities is totaling a little over $135k and would like to have that and any other waiver of facilities used to be provided. (Councilmember Moore)
Staff response:
Festival Fee Waivers Total Cost – $120,710 ($84,218 waivers, $36,492 city paid expenses) Cupertino Rotary: $17,501 waiver
Cupertino Bhubaneswar Sister City: $16,401 waiver
Cupertino Chamber of Commerce: $20,340 waiver
Veteran’s Memorial: $3,528 waiver
Home of Christ Church: $1,664 waiver
Toyokawa Sister City: $43,052 waiver (two-day event)
EnActe: $16,505 waiver
American Cancer Society: $1,719 waiver
Room Rental Fee Waivers FY 2022-23 – $24,945
Friends of the Cupertino Library – Three weekend book sales per year – Ongoing permanent waiver approved at the July 8, 2019, City Council Meeting ($5,880 per year waiver) Cupertino Senior Advisory Council – Bingo Room Use – good until June 28, 2024, approved at the July 16, 2019, City Council Meeting ($17,750 waiver) Santa Clara County Fire Department – SCC Fire leadership meetings on public safety in Cupertino – eight meetings total ($1,160 waiver) Cupertino Sheriff’s Substation – one Community Meeting on Tasers, one meeting about the AVA program to remove abandoned vehicles in Cupertino, and one Sheriff’s leadership meeting on Cupertino Public safety – three meetings total ($155 waiver) Staff has confirmed that both Rotary and Chamber have paid for all their facility rentals this fiscal year.
Q2: Can we have other visibility into other community funding including Sister City, Historical Society, and other organizations so we can consider them together? (Councilmember Chao)
Staff response:
Historical Society Contract Total Cost – $200,000
The agreement stipulates that the total grant funding provided to the Historical Society should not exceed $40,000 per year. The contract is currently for a three-year term ($120,000) with an option for two additional years ($80,000), resulting in a total of $200,000 over five years.
Additionally, the agreement includes 18 meeting rooms and four large rooms at the Quinlan Community Center per calendar year and the Historical Museum space at Quinlan Community Center. Depending on the time of the meeting or event and the room rented, the monetary value ranges based on the following fees:
Meeting Room = Conference Room
Large Rooms = Cupertino and Social Room
The space the museum currently occupies at Quinlan Community Center is relatively the same size as the Social Room.
Q3: Can we explore the library services and library maintenance to see if there are any creative solutions? (Councilmember Moore)
Staff response:
Library hours analysis and explanation – $329,698
The cost for additional operational hours is confirmed by the Santa Clara County Library District and estimated lower due to reimbursements received from the State. There were no actual expenses in FY 2020-21. The budget was intended to fund the GoGoBiblio Program, which was a two-year commitment approved in 2019. However, the program didn't run due to the pandemic and the Santa Clara County Library District didn't ask for the funds that fiscal year.
There were also no actual expenses in FY 2021-22. The pandemic caused a delay in the completion of the Cupertino Library Expansion project, which delayed the resumption of full operating hours more than halfway through the fiscal year. For this reason, and additional funding available elsewhere, the Santa Clara County Library District also didn't ask for the funds that fiscal year.
The FY 2023-24 Proposed Budget of $329,698 included $160,000 for additional Library Hours. As of May 18, 2023, the Financial & Administrative Services Manager for Santa Clara County Library District confirmed that the City will not be charged for Library extra hours in Fiscal Year 2023-24. As a result, this will be removed from the budget being presented to City Council on June 6.
Initially, the District suggested that there was a possibility that the funds might not be required. They mentioned that the final decision would be discussed and determined during their board meeting in June. Considering this uncertainty, the City decided to budget for the funds, as there was still a chance that they would be needed. However, following the comment made at the recent City Council meeting, City staff promptly followed up with an email seeking clarification. Subsequently, the District confirmed that the additional funds were indeed unnecessary, and this confirmation has been verified.
It is not guaranteed each year that the state will reimburse the District for the funding of extra hours. This budget line item ensures that if the reimbursement is not available, the library can continue to be open for extra hours. Funding in this line item that is unused at the end of the fiscal year is returned to unassigned fund balance.
Q4: Explanation for why the sheriff’s response time is delayed. (Councilmember Moore and Chao)
Staff response:
The Sheriff’s office provided the following narrative:
On Nov. 12, 2022, the Sheriff’s Office received a Priority 1 call that affected the average response times for the reporting period. The call came in as a “CHP transfer for a burglary in progress.” All on-duty deputies were engaged in other incidents, such as a welfare check when the call came out. Deputies did respond to the incident and detained the individual, who was intoxicated and at the wrong residence. Due to the extended response time for this single event, the average response time rose above the five-minute target. If the single call was removed, the Sheriff’s Office response time would be well below the five-minute target.
Q5: Can staff provide us with an offline memo of the projects listed on the development revenue estimates as each one of these projects has to either provide art or do the in lieu of fee? (Councilmember Moore)
Staff response:
The following table shows the art project valuation and potential in-lieu fee for the development projects.
Project
Valuation
Art Project Valuation
Potential In-Lieu Fee
Apple VP1
$155,494,507
$1,499,451
$1,943,681
Canyon Crossing
$18,908,462
$189,085
$236,356
Alan Row
$8,794,900
$87,949
$109,936
Marina Plaza
$122,115,199
$1,199,037
$1,526,440
Westport
$123,353,733
$1,210,184
$1,541,922
Hampton Apartments
$290,205,485
$2,711,849
$3,627,569
De Anza Hotel
$72,849,515
$728,495
$910,619
Cupertino Village Hotel
$66,175,539
$661,755
$827,194
Q6: Can staff provide a memo on where the vacancies are and what positions they are? (Councilmember Chao and Fruen)
Staff response:
As of May 25, 2023, there are 32 total vacancies. 14 of those vacancies are recommended for elimination, 11 are currently being recruited for and the remaining 7 are vacant and not currently being recruited for. The table below shows the details of those vacancies.
Department
Position
Status
1 CMO
Assistant City Manager
Eliminate
2 CMO
Management Analyst (Communications Analyst) 3 Yr. Limited-Term Eliminate
3 ADM SVCS
Administrative Assistant
Eliminate
4 CDD
Office Assistant
Eliminate
5 CDD
Housing Senior Planner
Eliminate
6 CDD
Permit Center Manager
Eliminate
7 REC
Recreation Manager
Eliminate
8 REC
Community Outreach Specialist
Eliminate
9 PW
Maintenance Worker I/II
Eliminate
10 PW
Maintenance Worker I/II
Eliminate
11 PW
Maintenance Worker I/II
Eliminate
12 PW
Public Works Project Manager
Eliminate
13 PW
Public Works Project Manager 1 Yr. Limited-Term
Eliminate
14 PW
Assistant Director of Public Works1
Eliminate
15 CDD
Administrative Assistant
In Recruitment
16 CDD
Permit Technician
In Recruitment
17 CMO
Economic Development Manager
In Recruitment
18 CMO
Management Analyst (Sustainability Management Analyst)
In Recruitment
19 CMO
Public Information Officer (Communications Officer)
In Recruitment
20 CMO
Senior Management Analyst
In Recruitment
21 CMO
Administrative Assistant
In Recruitment
22 PW
Senior Planner (Transit and Transportation Planner)
In Recruitment
23 PW
Maintenance Worker Lead - Streets
In Recruitment
24 PW
Senior Public Works Project Manager
In Recruitment
25 PW
Administrative Assistant
In Recruitment
26 CDD
Code Enforcement Officer
Vacant
27 CDD
Senior Planner
Vacant
28 CDD
Senior Planner
Vacant
29 CDD
Associate Planner
Vacant
30 CDD
Associate Planner
Vacant
31 CDD
Assistant Planner
Vacant
32 CDD
Planning Manager (Housing Manager)
Vacant
1 Consolidation of roles will result in the elimination of a vacancy, may not be this position 2