1 CITY COUNCIL ACTIVITY REPORT
Meeting: Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Reporting Councilmember: Councilmember J.R. Fruen
Report Activity Dates: 7/11/23 to 8/28/23
Event Date, Title, and Description:
Event 1. July 19, 2023 – Council Preparation Session on Housing Element – I participated in a preparatory session with staff about the Housing Element update, anticipated timelines, and expectations for the July 25, 2023, council study session on the matter.
Event 2. July 21, 2023 – Meeting with Constituent
– I met with Krishna Nathan for a discussion
of affordable housing and public policy as part of a BSA requirement for a merit badge.
Event 3. July 24, 2023 – Audit Committee Meeting – Vice‐Mayor Mohan and I attended the Audit Committee meeting in our capacity as members of the committee. The most notable item of review was the Enterprise Leadership Assessment Final Report. Moss Adams, the city’s contract auditor, reported out two standout observations: (1) that the Council Procedures Manual has significantly addressed many concerns about the conduct of meetings and overall efficacy of direction to staff, but that it must be fully implemented in order to be effective; and (2) that a culture of mistrust between some councilmembers and staff continues to persist. The report makes a host of recommendations to improve the overall governance of the city and will be reviewed by council.
Event 4. July
25, 2023 – Meeting with Melinda Coy and Jose Jauregui of the California Department of Housing and Community Development – I met with Cupertino’s Housing Element reviewer at HCD and his supervisor to better understand their views of Cupertino’s Housing Element challenges and opportunities, and to gain added insight into the requirements for Cupertino to obtain certification.
2 Event 5. July 31, 2023 – Meeting with Constituent – I met with Adit Singh, a Cupertino resident and rising senior at Mitty High School, to discuss his ideas about destigmatizing access to mental health resources among parents.
Event 6. August 6, 2023 – Toyokawa Bell Ringing Remembrance Ceremony – Mayor Wei and
I joined the Cupertino – Toyokawa Sister Cities Association for their annual bell‐ringing ceremony in Memorial Park to commemorate the bombings of Japanese cities, including the bombing of Toyokawa, during the Second World War. The Consul General of Japan, Yasushi Noguchi, attended the event and made heartfelt remarks.
Event 7. August 8, 2023 – Friends of the Stevens Creek Trail Commemorative Quilt Unveiling – Mayor Wei and I joined board members of the Friends of the Stevens Creek Trail to unveil a quilt honoring Trailblazers Race and the 30 th anniversary of the organization. The
next Trailblazers Race is set for September 24:
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/06/25/trailblazing‐quilt‐celebrates‐friends‐of‐stevens‐ creek‐trails‐30th‐anniversary/
Event 8. August 10, 2023 – VTA Policy Advisory Committee Meeting – I joined in my capacity as Cupertino’s representative on the Committee. In addition to regular housekeeping items, the
Committee spent considerable time on VTA’s transit‐oriented development transportation demand management program for developments intended to occur on VTA‐owned land. A key point of discussion was whether to require issuance of funded Clipper cards to all residents of housing developments on VTA land or just those in affordable housing. The Committee ultimately voted recommend issuance to all residents in order to spur interest in transit use and maximize revenue to VTA. The Committee also reviewed the VTA Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. The meeting agenda and related media are available here:
http://santaclaravta.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=3808
Event 9. August 13,
2023 – Coffee & Cupertino (Housing Element) – I joined members of the public for a coffee talk on the topic of the Housing Element update hosted by Cupertino for All at Main Street.
Event 10. August 15, 2023 – Cupertino Historical Society Board Meeting – I attended the Society’s
board meeting in my capacity as council’s delegate to the Society’s Advisory Board. It was Manny Valerio’s first full session as interim executive director.
Event 11. August 17, 2023 – First Amendment Training – I participated in the city’s First Amendment Training, which focused on how to best interact with First Amendment auditors.
3 Event 12. Augst 18, 20223 – India Flag Raising Ceremony – Together with Mayor Wei and Consul General of India, I participated in the India Flag Raising Ceremony hosted by the Cupertino – Bhubaneswar Sister City Initiative. The ceremony consisted of flag raisings of both the U.S. and Indian flags alongside performances of each country’s national anthem.
Event 13. August 23, 2023 – Santa Clara Valley Water Commission Meeting – I took part in this meeting as Cupertino’s representative on the Commission. This special meeting took place at the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center on Zanker Road in north San Jose.
Most of the agenda passed swiftly on consent. At the conclusion of the meeting, Valley Water staff took commissioners on a tour of the Advanced Water Purification Center. The agenda and related materials are available here: https://s3.us‐west‐1.amazonaws.com/valleywater.org.us‐ west‐1/s3fs‐public/SCVWC‐Agenda‐08232023.pdf
Event 14. August 24, 2023 – MTC‐ABAG Webinar “Investing in the Future of Bay Area Housing” – This was an informative webinar that focused on the financing of affordable housing and the structure a future bond to support the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority would take. The webinar is now available on BAHFA’s website.
Event 15. August 24, 2023 – Champions of Change Celebration – I attended this annual fundraiser hosted by Working Partnerships USA to honor changemakers and champions of workers’ rights in the South Bay and beyond.
Event 16. August 26, 2023 – Cupertino Night Market – Together with Mayor Wei and the City
Manager, I attended the Cupertino Night Market, a joint effort of De Anza College, the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce, and the Asian American Business Council. The event was well‐attended and featured a variety of performers in addition to food and goods available for sale.
Event 17. August 27,
2023 – Silicon Valley Pride – I joined other elected officials in marching in the 2023 Silicon Valley Pride parade in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.
Event 18. August 27, 2023 – Global Elegance by Cupertino Rotary – Alongside Mayor Wei, I attended Cupertino Rotary’s annual Global Elegance event to celebrate the organization’s
humanitarian achievements and to raise funds for future such endeavors.
Event 19. August 28, 2023 – Briefing from Don Cecil and Emily Douglas re ENGIE – I met with two representatives of ENGIE to discuss opportunities in sustainable electrical power production in Cupertino.