CITYCOUNCILACTIVITYREPORT*Meeting:Tuesday,March5,2024
+forthe“CouncilmemberReports”agendaitemunderthe“COUNCILREPORTSANDCOMMENTS”section ReportingCouncilmember: CouncilmemberLiangChao
ReportActivityDates: 2/13/24to2/26/24
Section1:EventsA ended(Date,Title,andDescription):
(Thislistdoesnotincludeinternalmeetingswithstaffonly,suchasprepsessionsormeetingswiththeCityManager.) 2024-02-13spokeattheFUHSDBoardMeetingontheirdecisiontotransitiontoby-trusteeareaelection,attherequestofCupertinoresidents.- At the2/6CouncilMeetingandotherinformalse ing,afewCupertinoresidentstoldtheCouncilthatSunnyvaleCouncilmembershave spokenat FUHSDin personmultipletimes,butCupertinoCouncilmembersneverspokethereonthisissue.- I a endedthe2/13FUHSDBoardmeetinginpersontospeak,representingmyselfonly,ofcourse.Myspeechtitled“By-trustee-area election undercuts voters' ability to influence theboard” wasalsosent totheFUHSDBoardaswrittencommunication.2024-02-15VirtualMeetingwith5 UCMercedComputerSciencestudentsontheCapstoneprojectona tooltohelptrainmedicalcodertousethenewsystemwith15,000codestoclassifysymptoms.2024-02-19Watchedthe videoof the 2/15Stateof the CityAddresson a laterdateh ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHInGoI0tYA- Similartothe2023Stateof theCityAddress, theCityallowedthesametwononprofitstotakeup6to8minuteseachtohighlight theirownorganizationsinthiscityevent beforetheMayorspoke.2024-02-16A endedCupertino-CUSD-FUHSD1x2x2StrategicPartnershipasamemberoftheaudience- I spoketorequest that theagendase ingprocessismademoreclearsothemembersof thepubliccouldproposeagendaitems. Forexample, somememberwishedtodiscussthestaggeredschoolstart timetorelievetrafficcongestioninthemorning, but theitemcouldnot beaddedastherewasnovenuetoproposeagendaitems. 1 - Thisisthefirst meetingwhereCupertinohasonlyoneCouncilmemberasarepresentative, whiletherearetwoboardmembersfromeachschool district.2024-02-16IvyMaxLunarNewYearAppreciationEvent topresent awardstostudentsfortheirvolunteerorcommunityworkandrecognitiontoparent volunteers.2024-02-19MeetingwithFUHSDStudent BoardMember - about by-trusteeareaelection, student boardselectionprocess, budget forelectiveswhenaBasicAiddistrict hasreducedstudent population.2024-02-24LunarNewYearPerformance, organizedbySiliconValleyCommunityUnited(SVCU) Youthgroup.- Therewasagrouppoemreadingasamini drama, amazingChineseandIndiandancesandsinging.
Section2:OtherActivities:(Thislistincludesotheractivitiesofinterest,whichI have doneorpaida entiontobecauseofissuesbroughtupbythecitystafforcommunitymembers.) NOTE:Inthepast,forthisagendaitem,eachCouncilmemberreportstheiractivitiesonthediasandalsomakesanycomments/announcementstheyfeelareimportantforthecommunitytoknow.Thus,I amcontinuingthattraditionhere.
1. CupertinoBudgetDiscussions:- Mid-YearFinancial Report wasonthe2/21agenda. The G–FY2022-23Special ProjectsUpdatehasalist of current programs, theirbudget andstatus.- Amemberof thepublicsharedthis10-yearStaffingandPopulationGrowthChart - Misc. info:- Cupertino’srevenuefromsalestaxisexpectedtoplungeby$30Mfromthe20212
level duetoaCDTFAaudit. (citysite, newsarticle)- TheAnnual Actualsfrom2012to2022couldbefoundfromCupertino’sOpenGovTransparencyPortal (clickon“Annual Actuals”), whereyoucanseehowmuchofourannual revenuecomesfromsalestax, propertytaxetc. - TheCityCouncil hasstartedtolookat potential revenuegenerationoptions(increasingsalestaxes/TOTtaxetc, increasingfeesforservices) andcost-cu ingoptions(cu ingservices, stoppinghybridcommissionmeetings) - Aroadmapof what’supcomingisintheFeb. 6StaffPresentationfortheFeeStudyAgendaItem:- TheCommunityWorkshoponBudget will beonThursday2/29.
2. HousingElementUpdate:- Thedeadlinetohaveacompliant HEisJan. 31, 2023andthedeadlinetocompleteall3
rezoningisJan. 31, 2024. Cupertinohasfailedtomeet bothdeadlines, but isexpectedtosubmit acompliant HEbyMay2024andfinishrezoningpropertiesinanother3months.- Thethirddraft waspostedon2/16fora7-daycommentingperiodandthenthedraft andall publiccommentsaresubmi edtoHCD(theState’sHousingandCommunityDevelopment agency) on5/23.- Sincenoneof theearlierHousingElement draft wasput ontheCouncil agendaforCouncil deliberationordirection, I felt that theonlywayforme, aCouncilmember, toprovideinput isthroughsubmi ingcommentslikeothermembersof thepublic. So, Ihavesubmi edmycomments.- Comment onThirdHEDraft: DiscourageProjectswhichWorsenJob-HousingBalance- Comment forThirdHEDraft: Limit AmenitySpaceforRental Units- Comment onThirdHEDraft: Limit SquareFootageof For-SaleHomesWithIncentivesforMiddleIncome- Comment onHEDraft: Prioritizefor-salehomes, ratherthanrentals- Comment onThirdHEDraft: NoWaiver/ExemptionallowedtolowerBMRpercentageorstandards- Comment ThirdHEDraft: Commentssent toHCDandotherPublicCommentsnot posted- Comment forThirdHEdraft: PoliciestoturnR1sitestoR3sitescameout of nowhere- Comment forThirdHEDraft: Lackof Public/Council ParticipationonHEProcess- TheHEdraft containsquiteafewnewpoliciesneverpresentedonanyCouncil agendawithpromisesforimplementationthroughordinancesin6monthsor12months.- I havesubmi edanagendarequest tohaveastudysessiononthecurrent HEdraft beforethefinal adoption, astheCouncil shouldnot beexpectedtorubberstampsuchtheset ofextensiveandimportant legislativedocumentswithmanynewpoliciesandcommitmentstobeadoptedall inonemeeting.
3. MonthlyDevelopmentActivityReports: Feb.2024report- Othernews:- Updateoncity-ownedMaryAve. Project (APN: 326-27-053): On2/6, theCouncilapprovedtheExclusiveNegotiationAgreement (ENA) withCupertinoRotaryHousingCorporation, HousingChoicesCoalitionforPersonswithDevelopmentalDisabilities, Inc., andCharitiesHousing. Theproposal envisionsa100%affordable,40-unit, two-story, apartment development, structuredasaSpecial Needsprojectwith18unitsreservedforaspecial needspopulation.- UpdateonSimeonProject: TheCountyBoardof SupervisorsapprovedaproposalfromEdenHousing“tobuildaffordableteacherandschool workerhousinginCupertino. …Theproject, locatedat 10333N. WolfeRoad, will sit onapproximately5acresof landownedbyApple. Thesitecanfit upto257apartmentsandhomesandcouldincludeotherkindsof affordablehousing,accordingtoEdenHousing. …EdenHousingaimstohaveanapproved 4 development planbytheendof thisyear, withconstructionslatedfor2026andamove-indateof 2028, accordingtothecounty.”(SantaClaraCountydeal bringsteacherhousingtoCupertino, Kron4.com)- VallcoSB-35Project: The2ndrevisedplan, submi edonDec. 5, 2023isalreadyapprovedbytheCity. Tobeconsideredarevision, not anewproject, thereshouldbelessthan25%change.- Highlightsfromthisnewsarticle: reduceretail spacefrom430,000squarefeet toabout 230,000squarefeet; reducebelow-market-rateunitsfrom50%toonethird;increasethetotal housingunitsfrom2,402to2,669units; officespacereducedslightlyfrom1.98millionsquarefeet of officespace.- Westport: Westport BMRBuildingnowacceptingapplicationsforresidents. Townhomescurrentlyforsale.4. FUHSDBy-Trustee-AreaElectioninNovember2024- FUHSDisdrawingboundariesof the5TrusteeAreas. TheFUHSDBoardisexpectedtoadopt thefinal mapright afterthe4thPublicHearingonApril 24, 2024.- Oct. 17, 2023(Presentation- includesproposedmapsandrevisedtimeline) - Upcomingmeetings:- Wednesday,March20, 2024(6p.m.) - likelytofinalizethemaps- April 24, 2024(6p.m.) - likelyfinal adoptionof theresolution- I havespent sometimestudyingtheissuesandhavesent thefollowingemails.representingmyself onlyof course, totheFUHSDBoardtoexpressmyconcernsontheshortenedtimelineandinadequateoutreachtoCupertinoandWest SanJoseK-8schoolswithstudentswhowill a endFUHSDintheimmediatefuture:- My2/13speechtitled“By-trustee-areaelectionundercutsvoters' abilitytoinfluencetheboard”.- WhyfollowashortertimelinethanCityof SunnyvaleandFoothill-DeAnza 5 CollegeDistrict?- FUHSDneverreceivedanychallengele er, but theyrushedtodecidetotransitionwithout anyevidenceof racial pollingorwithout consideringpros/consorotheroptions.- Inadequateoutreachtonon-SunnyvaleK-8schools, comparedwithSunnyvaleK-8schools- TheoutreachtoSunnyvaleK-8schoolsstartedinAugust 2023inmultipleBack-to-School Nights, whiletherehasbeenzerooutreachtoWest SanJoseorCupertinoK-8schoolsuntil February15, 2023withonPTAmeeting.Almost 6monthslate.- Important NewCVRACase: about theAugust 2023CaliforniaSupremeCourtdecisiontoclarifythat by-trustee-areaelectionisnot theonlyalternativetocomplywithCVRA- (LastActivityReportintheFeb.21,2024CouncilMeetingAgenda.) 6