Cupertino City Council
December 1, 2025

CC 12-01-2025
#3
FY 25-27 City Work
Program and TBD List
Written Communications
From: Kathleen Yates
To: Public Comments
Subject: For inclusion in public record for Dec 1, 2025 City Council Meeting Date: Sunday, November 30, 2025 12:59:27 PM
Attachments: BoD Letter to City Council v3.pdf
Cabinet Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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.

Please include into the public record for the December 1, 2025 City Council meeting, agenda item #3, the following two attachments.

Thank you
Kathy Yates, President 2025-2026
Rotary Club of Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-833-0456

November 28, 2025

Dear Mayor Chao, Vice Mayor Moore, and Honorable Councilmembers, On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Cupertino, we want to express our sincere appreciation

for

the

partnership

and

support

that

has

been

shared

between

our

two

organizations

in

conjunction

with

the

inspiration,

design,

and

execution

of

the

artistic

bike

rack

installations

around

the

city.

We

are

concerned

that

the

project

is

now

being

called

into

question

with

potential

removal

of

the

racks

under

consideration,

especially

in

light

of

this

long

legacy

of

partnership

and

the

thorough

multi-year

process

that

brought

this

project

to

fruition.

We also want to acknowledge and thank you for the productive partnership that exists between Rotary and

the

City

of

Cupertino.

For

many

decades,

the

City

and

Rotary

have

worked

side

by

side

on

projects

to

strengthen

the

civic

fabric

of

our

community,

support

youth

and

families,

and

enhance

our

city.

We

value

this

history

deeply

and

remain

committed

to

being

a

reliable

and

positive

partner

to

the

City.

We understand that you are currently reviewing the staff approval process for artistic bike racks installed

in

public

parks

and

other

public

areas,

with

the

possibility

that

new

processes

may

apply

in

the

future.

We

respect

the

City’s

responsibility

to

ensure

that

its

procedures

are

clear,

consistent,

and

aligned

with

community

standards

At

the

same

time,

we

respectfully

request

that

the

existing

racks

remain

in

place.

This

request

rests

on

a

simple

but

essential

principle:

Cupertino

Rotary

faithfully

followed

every

step

of

the

City’s

established

procedures

during

the

two

years

that

this

project

was

under

development,

relied

on

City

approvals

as

an

integral

part

of

raising

the

funds

necessary

to

purchase

the

racks,

and

entered

into

an

MOU

with

the

City

that

specified

the

terms

for

the

rack

installations.

Those

processes

and

commitments

deserve

to

be

honored.

During the two-year period that this project was being developed, the City provided guidance through several

mechanisms:

● The designs were reviewed and approved by City staff and the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission

in

multiple

public

meetings.
● The proposed locations were selected and voted upon by the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission, then

approved

by

City

staff,

including

the

Directors

of

Public

Works

and

Parks

&

Recreation.
● Rotary and the City executed an MOU outlining the process for the selection, location and installation

of

the

racks,

after

extensive

negotiation

of

terms.

● Rotary applied for and was granted a City encroachment permit for installation.

At each stage, Rotary complied meticulously with the requirements, expectations, and directives provided

by

the

City.

At

every

turn,

the

City

confirmed

that

we

were

proceeding

properly.

A

process

that

engaged

dozens

of

staff

hours

and

over

two

years

of

good-faith

collaboration

should

not

be

retroactively

nullified—especially

given

the

City’s

commitments

and

the

substantial

reliance

Rotary

placed

on

the

approvals

granted.

Rotary volunteers invested two years of their time coordinating the details of the project with city staff, the

Bicycle

Pedestrian

Commission,

and

the

rack

manufacturer,

and

spent

more

than

320

hours

of

volunteer

time

installing

the

racks.

This

has

been

a

significant

effort

for

our

club

and

we

are

proud

of

the

positive

impact

that

has

resulted.

Since

their

installation,

we

have

heard

overwhelmingly

positive

feedback

from

hundreds

of

residents—parents,

children,

cyclists,

park

users,

and

neighbors

who

have

shared

their

appreciation

for

the

creativity,

functionality,

and

delight

the

racks

bring

to

them.

Beyond their practical use, the racks contribute beauty, creativity, moments of joy, and a sense of play to

our

community

spaces,

qualities

that

many

residents

have

told

us

they

value.

Moreover,

the

racks

have

become

a

meaningful

symbol

of

what

longstanding

community

partnerships

can

achieve

when

all

parties

follow

a

collaborative

agreed-upon

process.

Removing

them

despite

the

City’s

own

approvals

and

commitments,

would

set

a

troubling

precedent

for

predictability,

fairness,

and

integrity

in

City

procedures

and

go

counter

to

the

collaborative

spirit

that

has

defined

Rotary’s

relationship

with

the

City

for

generations.

We also want to highlight the broader context of Rotary’s 70-year long history of community benefit projects,

a

history

for

which

Mayor

Chao

graciously

recognized

our

club

with

a

recent

proclamation.

Having

been

actively

involved

in

service

projects

during

the

entire

history

of

the

cIty

itself,

the

list

of

service

projects

is

too

long

to

list

here,

but

some

highlights

include:

● Supporting our youth, in partnership with both De Anza College and FUHSD, by providing critical

workforce

development

skills,

awarding

scholarships,

participating

in

Project

Springboard,

sponsoring

Scout

troops,

and

a

variety

of

other

programs.

● Building infrastructure, such as bike repair stations at all the high schools, installing solar panels

on

non-profit

facilities,

constructing

a

community

garden

at

the

YMCA,

and

partnering

with

Rebuilding

Together

to

repair,

rehabilitate

and

refresh

homes

for

low-income

seniors,

veterans,

and

disabled

residents.

In

earlier

eras,

Rotary

also

sponsored

the

installation

of

the

gazebo

in

Memorial

Park

and

the

trees

in

Civic

Center

Plaza.
● Enhancing food security by volunteering with West Valley Community Services, Second Harvest

of

Silicon

Valley,

Hunger

at

Home,

distributing

annual

Thanksgiving

meals

to

hundreds

of

needy

families,

and

conducting

the

Community

Harvest

program

to

collect

fruit

and

vegetables

from

neighborhood

gardens

that

would

otherwise

go

to

waste.

● Strengthening the social fabric by supporting veterans and elders through programs such as barbecues,

pet

visits,

pumpkin

painting

and

Operation

Care

and

Comfort.

All of these initiatives are the result of many decades of mutual cooperation, reliance and respect for the

commitments

made

by

various

partners.

We

hope

that

record

will

not

be

marred

by

a

reversal

of

the

mutual

commitments

made

in

good

faith

by

the

City

and

by

Cupertino

Rotary

in

bringing

these

6 bike

racks

to

the

community.

We look forward to continuing to partner closely with the City to serve Cupertino and contribute to projects

that

uplift

and

strengthen

our

shared

community.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Warm regards,

Kathy

Yates

President, 2025-2026 Cupertino Rotary Club
Jeff

Moe
Board Director, 2025-2026 Cupertino Rotary Club President, 2024-25 Steve

Onishi
CREF President, 2024 - Present Cupertino Rotary Strategic Development Officer, 2025 - 2028 Cupertino Rotary Club President, 2022-2023 Craig

Cummings
Chief FInancial Officer, 2025-2026 Cupertino Rotary Club Judy

Wilson
Board Director, 2025-2026 Chief of Staff to the BoD President Shyamoli

Banerjee
Fund Development Officer, 2025-2026 Past Chair, Workforce Development Committee Robert

Pruitt
Board Director, 2025-2026 Past Chair, World Community Services Committee

Louisa

Roberts
President Elect, 2025-2026 Cupertino Rotary Club
Alysa

Sakkas
Board Director, 2025-2026 Cupertino Rotary Club President, 2023-24 Jagi

Shahani
Board Director, 2025-2026 Club Chair, The Rotary Foundation 2025-2026 Past Chair - Community Services Committee, World Community Services Committee Mauri

Okamoto-Kearney
Board Director, 2025-2026 Past World Community Service Chair Debbie

Textor

Board Director,2026-2026 Cupertino Rotary CLub
Kalpana

Aroda
Board DIrector, 2025-2026 Cupertino Rotary Club
November 28.2025

Dear Mayor Chao, Vice Mayor Moore, and Honorable Councilmembers, On behalf of the Cabinet of the Rotary Club of Cupertino, we want to express our sincere appreciation for

the

partnership

and

support

that

has

been

shared

between

our

two

organizations

in

conjunction

with

the

inspiration,

design,

and

execution

of

the

artistic

bike

rack

installations

around

the

city.

We

are

concerned

that

the

project

is

now

being

called

into

question

with

potential

removal

of

the

racks

under

consideration,

especially

in

light

of

this

long

legacy

of

partnership

and

the

thorough

multi-year

process

that

brought

this

project

to

fruition.

We also want to acknowledge and thank you for the productive partnership that exists between Rotary and

the

City

of

Cupertino.

For

many

decades,

the

City

and

Rotary

have

worked

side

by

side

on

projects

to

strengthen

the

civic

fabric

of

our

community,

support

youth

and

families,

and

enhance

our

city.

We

value

this

history

deeply

and

remain

committed

to

being

a

reliable

and

positive

partner

to

the

City.

We understand that you are currently reviewing the staff approval process for artistic bike racks installed

in

public

parks

and

other

public

areas,

with

the

possibility

that

new

processes

may

apply

in

the

future.

We

respect

the

City’s

responsibility

to

ensure

that

its

procedures

are

clear,

consistent,

and

aligned

with

community

standards

At

the

same

time,

we

respectfully

request

that

the

existing

racks

remain

in

place.

This

request

rests

on

a

simple

but

essential

principle:

Cupertino

Rotary

faithfully

followed

every

step

of

the

City’s

established

procedures

during

the

two

years

that

this

project

was

under

development,

relied

on

City

approvals

as

an

integral

part

of

raising

the

funds

necessary

to

purchase

the

racks,

and

entered

into

an

MOU

with

the

City

that

specified

the

terms

for

the

rack

installations.

Those

processes

and

commitments

deserve

to

be

honored.

During the two-year period that this project was being developed, the City provided guidance through several

mechanisms:

● The designs were reviewed and approved by City staff and the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission

in

multiple

public

meetings.
● The proposed locations were selected and voted upon by the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission, then

approved

by

City

staff,

including

the

Directors

of

Public

Works

and

Parks

&

Recreation.
● Rotary and the City executed an MOU outlining the process for the selection, location and installation

of

the

racks,

after

extensive

negotiation

of

terms.

● Rotary applied for and was granted a City encroachment permit for installation.

At each stage, Rotary complied meticulously with the requirements, expectations, and directives provided

by

the

City.

At

every

turn,

the

City

confirmed

that

we

were

proceeding

properly.

A

process

that

engaged

dozens

of

staff

hours

and

over

two

years

of

good-faith

collaboration

should

not

be

retroactively

nullified—especially

given

the

City’s

commitments

and

the

substantial

reliance

Rotary

placed

on

the

approvals

granted.

Rotary volunteers invested two years of their time coordinating the details of the project with city staff, the

Bicycle

Pedestrian

Commission,

and

the

rack

manufacturer,

and

spent

more

than

320

hours

of

volunteer

time

installing

the

racks.

This

has

been

a

significant

effort

for

our

club

and

we

are

proud

of

the

positive

impact

that

has

resulted.

Since

their

installation,

we

have

heard

overwhelmingly

positive

feedback

from

hundreds

of

residents—parents,

children,

cyclists,

park

users,

and

neighbors

who

have

shared

their

appreciation

for

the

creativity,

functionality,

and

delight

the

racks

bring

to

them.

Beyond their practical use, the racks contribute beauty, creativity, moments of joy, and a sense of play to

our

community

spaces,

qualities

that

many

residents

have

told

us

they

value.

Moreover,

the

racks

have

become

a

meaningful

symbol

of

what

longstanding

community

partnerships

can

achieve

when

all

parties

follow

a

collaborative

agreed-upon

process.

Removing

them

despite

the

City’s

own

approvals

and

commitments,

would

set

a

troubling

precedent

for

predictability,

fairness,

and

integrity

in

City

procedures

and

go

counter

to

the

collaborative

spirit

that

has

defined

Rotary’s

relationship

with

the

City

for

generations.

We also want to highlight the broader context of Rotary’s 70-year long history of community benefit projects,

a

history

for

which

Mayor

Chao

graciously

recognized

our

club

with

a

recent

proclamation.

Having

been

actively

involved

in

service

projects

during

the

entire

history

of

the

cIty

itself,

the

list

of

service

projects

is

too

long

to

list

here,

but

some

highlights

include:

● Supporting our youth, in partnership with both De Anza College and FUHSD, by providing critical

workforce

development

skills,

awarding

scholarships,

participating

in

Project

Springboard,

sponsoring

Scout

troops,

and

a

variety

of

other

programs.

● Building infrastructure, such as bike repair stations at all the high schools, installing solar panels

on

non-profit

facilities,

constructing

a

community

garden

at

the

YMCA,

and

partnering

with

Rebuilding

Together

to

repair,

rehabilitate

and

refresh

homes

for

low-income

seniors,

veterans,

and

disabled

residents.

In

earlier

eras,

Rotary

also

sponsored

the

installation

of

the

gazebo

in

Memorial

Park

and

the

trees

in

Civic

Center

Plaza.
● Enhancing food security by volunteering with West Valley Community Services, Second Harvest

of

Silicon

Valley,

Hunger

at

Home,

distributing

annual

Thanksgiving

meals

to

hundreds

of

needy

families,

and

conducting

the

Community

Harvest

program

to

collect

fruit

and

vegetables

from

neighborhood

gardens

that

would

otherwise

go

to

waste.

● Strengthening the social fabric by supporting veterans and elders through programs such as barbecues,

pet

visits,

pumpkin

painting

and

Operation

Care

and

Comfort.

All of these initiatives are the result of many decades of mutual cooperation, reliance and respect for the

commitments

made

by

various

partners.

We

hope

that

record

will

not

be

marred

by

a

reversal

of

the

mutual

commitments

made

in

good

faith

by

the

City

and

by

Cupertino

Rotary

in

bringing

these

6 bike

racks

to

the

community.

We look forward to continuing to partner closely with the City to serve Cupertino and contribute to projects

that

uplift

and

strengthen

our

shared

community.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Warm regards,

Kathy Yates
President, 2025-2026 Cupertino Rotary Club
Jeff Moe Past President, 2024-25 Cupertino Rotary Club Alysa Sakkas Co-Chair, Communications Committee
Past

President,

2023-24
Louisa Roberts President Elect, Cupertino Rotary Club Craig Cummings Chief Financial Officer
Steve Onishi
Cupertino Rotary Endowment Foundation President, 2024 - Present Cupertino Rotary Strategic Development Officer, 2025 - 2028 Jim Davis CREF President, 2023-2024 Chair, CREF Capital Campaign 2024-2025 Work Force Development Committee Co-Chair Terry Sturtevant Co-Chair,Work Force Development Committee 2025-2026 Shyamoli Banerjee Fund Development Officer, 2024-2027 Jagi Shahani Past Chair - Community Services Committee, World Community Services Committee Club

Chair,

The

Rotary

Foundation
Steve LeFevre
Chair, Climate Action Committee Cupertino Rotary Club Vidula Aiyer Co-Chair, Climate Action Committee
Jean Gasperini
Assistant Secretary, 2025-2026
George Denise Co-Chair, Club Services Committee
Helene Davis
Co-Chair, Club Services Committee
William Furniss Chair, World Community Service Committee William Allen Co-Chair, Community Services Committee Marcia Elmer Co-Chair, Community Services Committee Debbie Textor

Co-Chair, Youth Services Committee
Stuart Rosenberg Co-Chair, Youth service Committee Padma Chari Co-Chair, Membership Committee
Judy Wilson Co-Chair, Membership Committee
Dana Stern Co-Chair, Membership Committee

Dolly Sandoval Co-Chair, Program Committee
Rod Sinks Co-Chair, Program Committee
Kalpana Aroda Co-Chair, Communications Committee
From: Kathleen Yates
To: Liang Chao; Kitty Moore; Sheila Mohan; J.R. Fruen; R "Ray" Wang Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: Follow-up to my previous letters about Rotary bike racks Date: Sunday, November 30, 2025 12:23:16 PM
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 City Council, City Manager and City Clerk:

In response to my recent letters to Cupertino council members and the City Manager about the Rotary bike rack project, I received two emails from individual council members, to which I would like to respond to all of you collectively.

In order to avoid multiple email strings and ensure that all are on the same page, I have compiled the council member emails to me (shown in blue, and indented below) and my responses (shown in bold type) into a single document, addressed collectively to all concerned. I apologize in advance for the length of this response.

I do appreciate the opportunity to respond to these questions and I trust that we can continue to partner collaboratively on this and similar projects in the future.

Warm regards,
Kathy Yates
President, Rotary Club of Cupertino, 2025-2026
First Correspondence:

Dear President Yates,
Thank you for writing to the Council. However, I am confused by your letter, which states "We are concerned that the project is now being called into question with potential removal of the racks under consideration".

Here are the relevant items that I can find:

In the original TBD list on the 11/18 agenda:
#16 (in the original TBD list on the 11/18 agenda): "Review placement, design, and approval process for bike rack installations in City parks; Discuss the type of contract formed with the Rotary and whether Council or any commission should have been consulted"
In the supplemental 1 report for the 11/18 meeting, which is also Attachment D in the 12/1 agenda:
#16: "Review placement, design, and approval process for bike rack installations in City parks;"
#22: "Approval process for any entity to place their logo, name, brand, on any City property"
As you can see, the items are about the approval process going forward to address concerns raised so far when people found out about the bike racks, after they were already installed:

1. The colorful fish bike rack looks lovely, but it seems out of place in Memorial Park, which is known for its natural beauty and Japanese garden style design. Should the Art Commission have been consulted on the design and location of these bike rakes since they are essentially public art pieces?

2. There have been reports of seniors walking in Memorial Park getting hit by bikes and some were sent to emergency room due to the impact. Is it wise to install the bike rakes in the middle of the park, which might encourage people to bike to the bike rake and results in public safety risks?

3. There have been children climbing on the bike rakes, when there are sharp edges on the bike rakes and the ground is a concrete or hard surface. How do we prevent children to mistake them as play structure?

4. Should any organization in Cupertino put their logo on any city property without Council approval? What should be the approval process?
I am not aware of any item on the 12/1 agenda to ask for the removal of the bike rakes, even though there have been requests for their removal for aesthetic or safety reasons.

The two items proposed in the TBD list are proposed to hopefully address the issues raised so far so that we might improve the approval process for future projects.

I hope that Rotary club members are not misinformed about what's on the 12/1 Council agenda.

Yates response to first correspondence:

Thank you for clarifying that the City will not be considering an action to remove or modify racks which have already been installed, but only potential suggestions for new future projects. My information most likely is incomplete, and I apologize for that.

The questions you raise are not unreasonable, but there was ample opportunity for these considerations to be raised and reconciled during the design phase of the project, which included input from multiple sources and public meetings. That said, no project — no matter how well planned or discussed — is likely to be 100% acceptable to every individual. I think whatever negative comments about the racks have been raised should be weighed against the positive comments that have also been received.

As I stated previously, Rotary wants to continue in partnership with the city to conduct projects that make our community more beautiful, functional, and supportive of citizens of all ages and capabilities. I look forward to many more opportunities to work with you and the other council members to make that happen.

Our club is certainly open to a dialogue with the designated representatives to address question 3 listed above, if that is an ongoing concern. And we hope that you will share with us any incident reports that involve documented safety issues. We want to address them, not solely for the Cupertino community, but also to share them with the manufacturer. We used a manufacturer that has designed and installed racks in other cities (also in conjunction with Rotary clubs, which is how we found them—through the Rotary network). I am sure the manufacturer would like to be made aware of safety concerns so that they can ensure their designs remain reliable products for communities around the country. Thank you.
______________
Second Correspondence:

Kathleen,
Thanks for reaching out. Can you tell me why there is a Rotary logo on the bike racks? Yates response to second correspondence:

It has long been a tradition of Rotary clubs throughout the world to include signage on the public works projects that they help bring into being in significant ways, whether through financial sponsorship, volunteer effort, community leadership, or all three types of support. This is certainly true of the history of our own club’s partnership with the City in other projects around Cupertino. A few examples are:
the trees in Civic Plaza
the gazebo in Memorial Park
the clock at Main street
This is not at all unique to Cupertino Rotary, or even to U.S. clubs. As two examples of Rotary-related signage that can be found on other public works projects, I want to mention the San Jose Rotary Playgarden (where, in addition to signage in the park, the name of the park itself incorporates Rotary), and, interestingly, this plaque that I saw as I entered the main pedestrian roadway into Machu PIcchu some years back:

Literally, one can travel the world over and see Rotary plaques everywhere, in places that are both obscure and of UNESCO-heritage caliber.

The signs are meant to inform the public that a local Rotary club is actively supporting the community. The inclusion of the Rotary Wheel (logo of Rotary International) symbolizes the Rotary organization’s commitment to “service above self.” The design of the Rotary International logo is very intentional: the wheel signifies unity and the collective strength of members working together towards a common goal.

Each part of the gearwheel has a specific meaning:
the 24 teeth signify that Rotary is always "working" around the clock the 6 spokes represent the vocational service path
the keyway in the center shows that members are the driving force and the overall design symbolizes a well-oiled machine dedicated to service.

All Rotary clubs world-wide are asked by the parent organization to adhere to specific design standards for Rotary-sponsored projects*. So when we began the discussion about the bike rack project, we specified from the start that we expected to continue that tradition. It was a very sizable project for us–an investment of time that extended for over two years to work collaboratively with multiple groups to ideate, design, manufacture and install the racks. Cupertino Rotary funded the entirety of the additional money required to make these racks distinctive, rather than just the industrial-type bike racks that the City had budgeted. So, of course, we wanted this project to align with the standards of Rotary International by ensuring that the project included appropriate attribution of the significant contributions being made.

The rack manufacturer suggested the design that allowed the logo to be integrated into the rack itself, eliminating the need for separate signage. This approach saves money and also frees up space in the installations (since separate signage would not be needed). It is a design that has also been used in many other communities where Rotary clubs have sponsored community bike racks.

In total, Cupertino Rotary has raised and invested $30,000 in funds and an estimated $10,000 in volunteer hours to bring this project to the community. It is hard to imagine why a logo that is recognized worldwide as a symbol of goodwill and community service would be in any way detrimental to the project, to the City, or to the residents of Cupertino.
*[It is also worth noting that this tradition of signage on community projects is not limited to Rotary alone. Kiwanis clubs, Lions clubs, Elks clubs—in fact, virtually all service clubs —-do the same].

Kathy Yates, President
Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-833-0456
From: Kathleen Yates
To: R "Ray" Wang
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: A letter from Cupertino Rotary Cabinet
Date: Friday, November 28, 2025 7:35:41 PM
Attachments: Cabinet Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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 Councilmember Wang:

The Cabinet of the Rotary Club of Cupertino asked me to send on their behalf a letter that will be sent to all City Council members. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Kathy Yates, President
Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-833-0456
From: Kathleen Yates
To: J.R. Fruen
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: A letter from the Cupertino Rotary Cabinet
Date: Friday, November 28, 2025 7:33:32 PM
Attachments: Cabinet Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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.

The Cabinet of the Rotary Club of Cupertino asked me to send on their behalf a letter that will be sent to all City Council members. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Kathy Yates, President
Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-833-0456
From: Kathleen Yates
To: Sheila Mohan
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: A letter from the Cupertino Rotary Cabinet
Date: Friday, November 28, 2025 7:31:18 PM
Attachments: Cabinet Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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 Councilmember Mohan:

The Cabinet of the Rotary Club of Cupertino asked me to send on their behalf a letter that will be sent to all City Council members. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Kathy Yates, President
Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-833-0456
From: Kathleen Yates
To: Kitty Moore
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: A letter from the Cabinet of Cupertino Rotary Club Date: Friday, November 28, 2025 7:28:13 PM
Attachments: Cabinet Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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 Vice Mayor Moore:

The Cabinet of the Rotary Club of Cupertino asked me to send on their behalf a letter that will be sent to all City Council members. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Kathy Yates, President
Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-833-0456
From: Kathleen Yates
To: Liang Chao
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: A letter from the Cupertino Rotary Club Cabinet Date: Friday, November 28, 2025 7:26:32 PM
Attachments: Cabinet Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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 Mayor Chao:

The Cabinet of the Rotary Club of Cupertino asked me to send on their behalf a letter that will be sent to all City Council members. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Regards,
Kathy Yates, President
Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-833-0456
From: Kathleen Yates
To: R "Ray" Wang
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: Please preserve the Artistic Bike Rack project Date: Friday, November 28, 2025 7:23:02 PM
Attachments: BoD Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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 Councilmember Wang:

Attached please see a letter that will be sent to all City Council members, from the Board of Directors of Cupertino Rotary. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Regards,
Kathy Yates, President
Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-833-0456
From: Kathleen Yates
To: Joseph Fruen
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: Please preserve the Artistic Bike Rack project Date: Friday, November 28, 2025 7:21:28 PM
Attachments: BoD Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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 Councilmember Fruen:

Attached please see a letter that will be sent to all City Council members, from the Board of Directors of Cupertino Rotary. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Regards,
Kathy Yates
[email protected]
408-833-0456
From: Kathleen Yates
To: Kitty Moore
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: Re: Please preserve the Artistic Bike Rack project Date: Friday, November 28, 2025 7:19:53 PM
Attachments: BoD Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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 Vice Mayor Moore:

Attached please see a letter that will be sent to all City Council members, from the Board of Directors of Cupertino Rotary. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Regards,
Kathy Yates, President
Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-833-0456
From: Kathleen Yates
To: Sheila Mohan
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: Please preserve the Artistic Bike Rack project Date: Friday, November 28, 2025 7:18:47 PM
Attachments: BoD Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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 Councilmember Mohan
Attached please see a letter that will be sent to all City Council members, from the Board of Directors of Cupertino Rotary. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Regards,
Kathy Yates
[email protected]
408-833-0456
From: Kathleen Yates
To: Liang Chao
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: Please preserve the Artistic Bike Rack Project Date: Friday, November 28, 2025 7:13:08 PM
Attachments: BoD Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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 Mayor Chao:

Attached please see a letter that will be sent to all City Council members, from the Board of Directors of Cupertino Rotary. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Regards,
Kathy Yates, President
Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-833-0456
From: Kathleen Yates
To: Liang Chao; Kitty Moore; Sheila Mohan; J.R. Fruen; R "Ray" Wang Cc: Cupertino City Manager"s Office; City Clerk; Public Comments Subject: Additional follow up to prior correspondence
Date: Sunday, November 30, 2025 12:54:57 PM
Attachments: Response to questions from 2 City Council Members.pdf 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 City Council members:

I was notified that the formatting on the email I just sent gets jumbled when it is viewed through different email clients, so I have saved it as a pdf and attached it here.

I apologize that the communication was jumbled. I hope this makes the document clear and readable for all.

Please note, I am also requesting of the City clerk that this be entered into the public record for the December 1st Council meeting, agenda item #3.

Kathy Yates, President 2025-2026
Rotary Club of Cupertino
[email protected]
408-833-0456
Dear City Council, City Manager and City Clerk: In response to my recent letters to council members about the Rotary bike rack project, I received

two

emails

from

individual

council

members,

to

which

I

would

like

to

respond

to

all

of

you

collectively.

In order to avoid multiple email strings and ensure that all are on the same page, I have compiled

the

councilmember

communications

to

me

(shown in blue, and indented below) and
my

responses

(
shown

in

bold

type)

into

a

single

document,

addressed

collectively

to

all

concerned.

I

apologize

in

advance

for

the

length

of

this

response.

I do appreciate the opportunity to respond to these questions and I trust that we can continue to partner

collaboratively

on

this

and

similar

projects

in

the

future.

Warm regards, Kathy Yates President, Rotary Club of Cupertino, 2025-2026 First Correspondence: Dear President Yates, Thank you for writing to the Council. However, I am confused by your letter, which states

"We

are

concerned

that

the

project

is

now

being

called

into

question

with

potential

removal

of

the

racks

under

consideration".

Here are the relevant items that I can find: ● In the original TBD list on the 11/18 agenda: ○ #16 (in the original TBD list on the 11/18 agenda): "Review placement, design,

and

approval

process

for

bike

rack

installations

in

City

parks;

Discuss

the

type

of

contract

formed

with

the

Rotary

and

whether

Council

or

any

commission

should

have

been

consulted"
● In the supplemental 1 report for the 11/18 meeting, which is also Attachment D in

the

12/1

agenda:
○ #16: "Review placement, design, and approval process for bike rack installations

in

City

parks;"
○ #22: "Approval process for any entity to place their logo, name, brand, on any

City

property"

As you can see, the items are about the approval process going forward to address concerns

raised

so

far

when

people

found

out

about

the

bike

racks,

after

they

were

already

installed:

1. The colorful fish bike rack looks lovely, but it seems out of place in Memorial Park, which

is

known

for

its

natural

beauty

and

Japanese

garden

style

design.

Should

the

Art

Commission

have

been

consulted

on

the

design

and

location

of

these

bike

rakes

since

they

are

essentially

public

art

pieces?

2. There have been reports of seniors walking in Memorial Park getting hit by bikes and

some

were

sent

to

emergency

room

due

to

the

impact.

Is

it

wise

to

install

the

bike

rakes

in

the

middle

of

the

park,

which

might

encourage

people

to

bike

to

the

bike

rake

and

results

in

public

safety

risks?

3. There have been children climbing on the bike rakes, when there are sharp edges on

the

bike

rakes

and

the

ground

is

a

concrete

or

hard

surface.

How

do

we

prevent

children

to

mistake

them

as

play

structure?

4. Should any organization in Cupertino put their logo on any city property without Council

approval?

What

should

be

the

approval

process?
I am not aware of any item on the 12/1 agenda to ask for the removal of the bike rakes, even

though

there

have

been

requests

for

their

removal

for

aesthetic

or

safety

reasons.

The two items proposed in the TBD list are proposed to hopefully address the issues raised

so

far

so

that

we

might

improve

the

approval

process

for

future

projects.

I hope that Rotary club members are not misinformed about what's on the 12/1 Council agenda.

Thanks, Yates response to first correspondence: Thank you for clarifying that the City will not be considering an action to remove or modify

racks

which

have

already

been

installed,

but

only

potential

suggestions

for

new

future

projects.

My

information

most

likely

is

incomplete,

and

I

apologize

for

that.

The questions you raise are not unreasonable, but there was ample opportunity for these considerations

to

be

raised

and

reconciled

during

the

design

phase

of

the

project,

which

included

input

from

multiple

sources

and

public

meetings.

That

said,

no

project,

no

matter

how

well

planned

or

discussed,

is

likely

to

be

100%

acceptable

to

every

individual.

I

think

whatever

negative

comments

about

the

racks

have

been

raised

should

be

weighed

against

the

positive

comments

that

have

also

been

received.

As I stated previously, Rotary wants to continue in partnership with the city to conduct projects

that

make

our

community

more

beautiful,

functional,

and

supportive

of

citizens

of

all

ages

and

capabilities.

I

look

forward

to

many

more

opportunities

to

work

with

you

and

the

other

council

members

to

make

that

happen.

Our club is certainly open to a dialogue with the designated representatives to address question

3 listed

above,

if

that

is

considered

an

ongoing

concern.

And

we

hope

that

you

will

share

with

us

any

incident

reports

that

involve

documented

safety

issues.

We

want

to

address

them,

not

solely

for

the

Cupertino

community,

but

also

to

share

them

with

the

manufacturer.

We

used

a

manufacturer

that

has

designed

and

installed

racks

in

other

cities

(also

in

conjunction

with

Rotary

clubs,

which

is

how

we

found

them—through

the

Rotary

network).

I

am

sure

the

manufacturer

would

like

to

be

made

aware

of

safety

concerns

so

that

they

can

ensure

their

designs

remain

reliable

products

for

communities

around

the

country.

Thank

you.

______________ Second Correspondence: Kathleen, Thanks for reaching out. Can you tell me why there is a Rotary logo on the bike racks? Yates response to second correspondence: It has long been a tradition of Rotary clubs throughout the world to include signage on the

public

works

projects

that

they

help

bring

into

being

in

significant

ways,

whether

through

financial

sponsorship,

volunteer

effort,

community

leadership,

or

all

three

types

of

support.

This

is

certainly

true

of

the

history

of

our

own

club’s

partnership

with

the

City

in

other

projects

around

Cupertino.

A

few

examples

are:
● the trees in Civic Plaza ● the gazebo in Memorial Park ● the clock at Main street This is not at all unique to Cupertino Rotary, or even to U.S. clubs. As two examples of Rotary-related

signage

that

can

be

found

on

other

public

works

projects,

I

want

to

mention

the

San

Jose

Rotary

Playgarden

(where,

in

addition

to

signage

in

the

park,

the

name

of

the

park

itself

incorporates

Rotary),

and,

interestingly,

this

plaque

that

I

saw

as

I

entered

the

main

pedestrian

roadway

into

Machu

PIcchu

some

years

back:

Literally, one can travel the world over and see Rotary plaques everywhere, in places that are

both

obscure

and

of

UNESCO-heritage

caliber.

The signs are meant to inform the public that a local Rotary club is actively supporting the

community.

The

inclusion

of

the

Rotary

Wheel

(logo

of

Rotary

International)

symbolizes

the

Rotary

organization’s

commitment

to

“service

above

self.”
The design of the Rotary International logo is very intentional: the wheel signifies unity and

the

collective

strength

of

members

working

together

towards

a

common

goal.

Each

part

of

the

gearwheel

has

a

specific

meaning:

● the 24 teeth signify that Rotary is always "working" around the clock ● the 6 spokes represent the vocational service path ● the keyway in the center shows that members are the driving force ● and the overall design symbolizes a well-oiled machine dedicated to service. All Rotary clubs world-wide are asked by the parent organization to adhere to specific design

standards

for

Rotary-sponsored

projects*.

So

when

we

began

the

discussion

about

the

bike

rack

project,

we

specified

from

the

start

that

we

expected

to

continue

that

tradition.

It

was

a

very

sizable

project

for

us–an

investment

of

time

that

extended

for

over

two

years

to

work

collaboratively

with

multiple

groups

to

ideate,

design,

manufacture

and

install

the

racks.

Cupertino

Rotary

funded

the

entirety

of

the

additional

money

required

to

make

these

racks

distinctive,

rather

than

just

the

industrial-type

bike

racks

that

the

City

had

budgeted.

So,

of

course,

we

wanted

this

project

to

align

with

the

standards

of

Rotary

International

by

ensuring

that

the

project

included

appropriate

attribution

of

the

significant

contributions

being

made.

The rack manufacturer suggested the design that allowed the logo to be integrated into the

rack

itself,

eliminating

the

need

for

separate

signage.

This

approach

saved

money

and

also

freed

up

space

in

the

installations

(since

separate

signage

would

not

be

needed).It

is

a

design

that

has

also

been

used

in

many

other

communities

where

Rotary

clubs

have

sponsored

community

bike

racks.

In total, Cupertino Rotary has raised and invested $30,000 in funds and an estimated $10,000

in

volunteer

hours to bring this project to the community. It is hard to imagine why

a

logo

that

is

recognized

worldwide

as

a

symbol

of

goodwill

and

community

service

would

be

in

any

way

detrimental

to

the

project,

to

the

City,

or

to

the

residents

of

Cupertino.
*[It is also worth noting that this tradition of signage on community projects is not limited to

Rotary

alone.

Kiwanis

clubs,

Lions

clubs,

Elks

clubs—in

fact,

virtually

all

service

clubs

—-do

the

same].

From: Steve LeFevre
To: Liang Chao
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: A letter from the Cupertino Rotary - Climate Action Committee Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025 7:04:35 PM
Attachments: CAC Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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 Mayor Chao:

The Climate Action Committee of the Rotary Club of Cupertino asked me to send on their behalf a letter that will be sent to all City Council members. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Regards,
Steve LeFevre,
Chair - Climate Action Committee
Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-203-7835

November 28, 2025

Dear Mayor Chao, Vice Mayor Moore, and Honorable Councilmembers, On behalf of the Climate Action Committee of the Rotary Club of Cupertino, we want to express our sincere

appreciation

for

the

partnership

and

support

that

has

been

shared

between

our

two

organizations

in

conjunction

with

the

inspiration,

design,

and

execution

of

the

artistic

bike

rack

installations

around

the

city.

We

are

concerned

that

the

project

is

now

being

called

into

question

with

potential

removal

of

the

racks

under

consideration,

especially

in

light

of

this

long

legacy

of

partnership

and

the

thorough

multi-year

process

that

brought

this

project

to

fruition.

We also want to acknowledge and thank you for the productive partnership that exists between Rotary and

the

City

of

Cupertino.

For

many

decades,

the

City

and

Rotary

have

worked

side

by

side

on

projects

to

strengthen

the

civic

fabric

of

our

community,

support

youth

and

families,

and

enhance

our

city.

We

value

this

history

deeply

and

remain

committed

to

being

a

reliable

and

positive

partner

to

the

City.

We understand that you are currently reviewing the staff approval process for artistic bike racks installed

in

public

parks

and

other

public

areas,

with

the

possibility

that

new

processes

may

apply

in

the

future.

We

respect

the

City’s

responsibility

to

ensure

that

its

procedures

are

clear,

consistent,

and

aligned

with

community

standards

At

the

same

time,

we

respectfully

request

that

the

existing

racks

remain

in

place.

This

request

rests

on

a

simple

but

essential

principle:

Cupertino

Rotary

faithfully

followed

every

step

of

the

City’s

established

procedures

during

the

two

years

that

this

project

was

under

development,

relied

on

City

approvals

as

an

integral

part

of

raising

the

funds

necessary

to

purchase

the

racks,

and

entered

into

an

MOU

with

the

City

that

specified

the

terms

for

the

rack

installations.

Those

processes

and

commitments

deserve

to

be

honored.

During the two-year period that this project was being developed, the City provided guidance through several

mechanisms:

● The designs were reviewed and approved by City staff and the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission

in

multiple

public

meetings.
● The proposed locations were selected and voted upon by the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission, then

approved

by

City

staff,

including

the

Directors

of

Public

Works

and

Parks

&

Recreation.
● Rotary and the City executed an MOU outlining the process for the selection, location and installation

of

the

racks,

after

extensive

negotiation

of

terms.

● Rotary applied for and was granted a City encroachment permit for installation.

At each stage, Rotary complied meticulously with the requirements, expectations, and directives provided

by

the

City.

At

every

turn,

the

City

confirmed

that

we

were

proceeding

properly.

A

process

that

engaged

dozens

of

staff

hours

and

over

two

years

of

good-faith

collaboration

should

not

be

retroactively

nullified—especially

given

the

City’s

commitments

and

the

substantial

reliance

Rotary

placed

on

the

approvals

granted.

Rotary volunteers invested two years of their time coordinating the details of the project with city staff, the

Bicycle

Pedestrian

Commission,

and

the

rack

manufacturer,

and

spent

more

than

320

hours

of

volunteer

time

installing

the

racks.

This

has

been

a

significant

effort

for

our

club

and

we

are

proud

of

the

positive

impact

that

has

resulted.

Since

their

installation,

we

have

heard

overwhelmingly

positive

feedback

from

hundreds

of

residents—parents,

children,

cyclists,

park

users,

and

neighbors

who

have

shared

their

appreciation

for

the

creativity,

functionality,

and

delight

the

racks

bring

to

them.

Beyond their practical use, the racks contribute beauty, creativity, moments of joy, and a sense of play to

our

community

spaces,

qualities

that

many

residents

have

told

us

they

value.

Moreover,

the

racks

have

become

a

meaningful

symbol

of

what

longstanding

community

partnerships

can

achieve

when

all

parties

follow

a

collaborative

agreed-upon

process.

Removing

them

despite

the

City’s

own

approvals

and

commitments,

would

set

a

troubling

precedent

for

predictability,

fairness,

and

integrity

in

City

procedures

and

go

counter

to

the

collaborative

spirit

that

has

defined

Rotary’s

relationship

with

the

City

for

generations.

We also want to highlight the broader context of Rotary’s 70-year long history of community benefit projects,

a

history

for

which

Mayor

Chao

graciously

recognized

our

club

with

a

recent

proclamation.

Having

been

actively

involved

in

service

projects

during

the

entire

history

of

the

cIty

itself,

the

list

of

service

projects

is

too

long

to

list

here,

but

some

highlights

include:

● Supporting our youth, in partnership with both De Anza College and FUHSD, by providing critical

workforce

development

skills,

awarding

scholarships,

participating

in

Project

Springboard,

sponsoring

Scout

troops,

and

a

variety

of

other

programs.

● Building infrastructure, such as bike repair stations at all the high schools, installing solar panels

on

non-profit

facilities,

constructing

a

community

garden

at

the

YMCA,

and

partnering

with

Rebuilding

Together

to

repair,

rehabilitate

and

refresh

homes

for

low-income

seniors,

veterans,

and

disabled

residents.

In

earlier

eras,

Rotary

also

sponsored

the

installation

of

the

gazebo

in

Memorial

Park

and

the

trees

in

Civic

Center

Plaza.
● Enhancing food security by volunteering with West Valley Community Services, Second Harvest

of

Silicon

Valley,

Hunger

at

Home,

distributing

annual

Thanksgiving

meals

to

hundreds

of

needy

families,

and

conducting

the

Community

Harvest

program

to

collect

fruit

and

vegetables

from

neighborhood

gardens

that

would

otherwise

go

to

waste.

● Strengthening the social fabric by supporting veterans and elders through programs such as barbecues,

pet

visits,

pumpkin

painting

and

Operation

Care

and

Comfort.

All of these initiatives are the result of many decades of mutual cooperation, reliance and respect for the

commitments

made

by

various

partners.

We

hope

that

record

will

not

be

marred

by

a

reversal

of

the

mutual

commitments

made

in

good

faith

by

the

City

and

by

Cupertino

Rotary

in

bringing

these

6 bike

racks

to

the

community.

We look forward to continuing to partner closely with the City to serve Cupertino and contribute to projects

that

uplift

and

strengthen

our

shared

community.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Warm regards,

Steve

LeFevre
Chair of the Climate Action Committee Cupertino Rotary Club Seema

Lindskog
Member, Climate Action Committee Past Co-Chair of the Climate Action Committee Tom

Scannell
Member, Climate Action Committee Past Chief Financial Officer, Rotary Club of Cupertino Steve

Onishi
Cupertino Rotary Endowment Foundation President, 2024 - Present Cupertino Rotary Strategic Development Officer, 2025 - 2028 Cupertino Rotary Club President, 2022-2023 George

Denise
Member, Climate Action Committee
Charles

Harper,

Ph.D.

Member, Climate Action Committee
Dino

Sakkas
Safe Routes to School Walk Bike Cupertino Board Chair, Environmental Sustainability

Vidula

Aiyer
Co-Chair of the Climate Action Committee Cupertino Rotary Club Alysa

Sakkas
Cupertino Rotary Club President, 2023-24 Member, Climate Action Committee Rod

Sinks
Past Co-Chair of the Climate Action Committee Cupertino Rotary Club President, 2021-22

Byron

Rovegno
Treasurer, Cupertino Rotary Endowment Foundation Member Climate Action Committee Jim

Walker
Cupertino Resident for 57 years Cupertino Rotary Club President, 1982-83 Gary

Latshaw
Co-founder, Guadalupe Group of the Sierra Club Past Chair of Cupertino's Sustainability Commission Past Co-Chair of the Climate Action Committee From: Steve LeFevre
To: Kitty Moore
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: A letter from the Cupertino Rotary - Climate Action Committee Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025 7:03:41 PM
Attachments: CAC Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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 Vice Mayor Moore:

The Climate Action Committee of the Rotary Club of Cupertino asked me to send on their behalf a letter that will be sent to all City Council members. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Regards,
Steve LeFevre,
Chair - Climate Action Committee
Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-203-7835
From: Steve LeFevre
To: R "Ray" Wang
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: A letter from the Cupertino Rotary - Climate Action Committee Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025 7:03:23 PM
Attachments: CAC Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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 Councilmember Wang:

The Climate Action Committee of the Rotary Club of Cupertino asked me to send on their behalf a letter that will be sent to all City Council members. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Regards,
Steve LeFevre,
Chair - Climate Action Committee
Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-203-7835
From: Steve LeFevre
To: Sheila Mohan
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: A letter from the Cupertino Rotary - Climate Action Committee Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025 7:03:16 PM
Attachments: CAC Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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 Councilmember Mohan:

The Climate Action Committee of the Rotary Club of Cupertino asked me to send on their behalf a letter that will be sent to all City Council members. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Regards,
Steve LeFevre,
Chair - Climate Action Committee
Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-203-7835
From: Steve LeFevre
To: J.R. Fruen
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: A letter from the Cupertino Rotary - Climate Action Committee Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025 7:03:16 PM
Attachments: CAC Letter to City Council v3.pdf
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 Councilmember Fruen:

The Climate Action Committee of the Rotary Club of Cupertino asked me to send on their behalf a letter that will be sent to all City Council members. This is in regards to the artistic bike rack project that Rotary brought to the Cupertino community. We understand that there will be discussion about the project at the special meeting on Monday, and hope that you will give due consideration to the sentiments expressed in this letter, as Rotary has received much favorable feedback from the community about these additions to our parks and public areas.

Regards,
Steve LeFevre,
Chair - Climate Action Committee
Cupertino Rotary
[email protected]
408-203-7835
From: Santosh Rao
To: City Council; Tina Kapoor; City Clerk; Chad Mosley; Benjamin Fu; Luke Connolly; Gian Martire; City Attorney"s Office
Subject: Written Comment for Agenda Item 3 – Request for CWP Item to Prepare 2026 Ballot Measure on Mary Ave Roadway and Parking
Date: Monday, December 1, 2025 12:13:00 PM
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 City Clerk,
Would you please include the below for written comment for agenda item 3 for 12/1/25 city council meeting. Thank you for your service to the city. We appreciate all that you do. [Writing on behalf of myself only as a Cupertino resident, taxpayer, voter] Subject: Written Comment for Agenda Item 3 – Request for CWP Item to Prepare 2026 Ballot Measure on Mary Ave Roadway and Parking
Dear Mayor Chao, Vice-Mayor Moore, Council Members, and City Manager Kapoor, This written comment is for Agenda Item 3 at the December 1, 2025 Special City Council Meeting. I am requesting that the Council add a new City Work Program (CWP) item directing staff to prepare a 2026 ballot measure on whether the City of Cupertino should convert the Mary Avenue roadway and parking into a housing parcel and transfer that public land to a developer.

To date, there have been significant compliance problems regarding the handling of the Mary Ave Villas parcel. As stated in multiple prior emails, the City used exemptions to bypass the required public procedures to classify land as surplus or exempt surplus. These actions were not noticed, not placed on a public agenda, no written findings were produced, and no Council vote authorized the use of exemptions or the bypassing of public engagement. These actions appear to violate the Brown Act and Government Code 54221. No public hearing has ever been held on converting public roadway and parking into a high-density development site.

The community has not been given any formal opportunity to decide whether a public roadway and long-standing parking area should be eliminated and reassigned for private development. This is a major land use decision that affects traffic circulation, safety, access, civic space, and long-term city planning. It cannot proceed through administrative actions without direct public consent.

For these reasons, I request that Council add a new CWP item tonight directing staff to prepare a ballot measure for the November 2026 election. This will allow Cupertino voters to make the final decision.

Suggested Ballot Measure Language:
“Shall the City of Cupertino vacate existing public right of way and convert a part of the Mary Avenue roadway and adjacent public parking between Arroyo townhomes and Mary Ave Dog Park into a housing parcel and authorize the City Council to designate this public land as surplus land for transfer or conveyance to a private developer for the construction of high- density housing?”
If desired, the measure may include sub-questions or be structured as a single binding authorization. A public-facing process is essential before any land use action is taken.

I request that this CWP item be added and prioritized so that the 2026 ballot measure can be drafted, publicly reviewed, and completed in time for the 2026 election cycle.

Let the 2026 election decide this matter. Residents will vote 2026 on this issue.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
San Rao (writing on behalf of myself only as a Cupertino resident, taxpayer, voter) From: Seema Lindskog
To: City Council
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office; Kathy Yates; George and Kathy Denise Subject: Fwd: Cupertino Rotary - City of Cupertino Rotary Artistic Bicycle Racks Collaboration Date: Monday, December 1, 2025 11:25:50 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.

Mayor Chao, Vice Mayor Moore and Council members,
George Denise, a fellow Rotarian, wrote the email below and asked me to forward it to you on his behalf. City Clerk and City Manager, please enter this email in the public records for the December 1 City Council meeting Agenda Item #3.

Thanks,
Seema
___________________________________________________________________ "You must be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi This message is from my personal email account. I am only writing as myself, not as a representative or spokesperson for any other organization. ---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <[email protected]
>
Date: Mon, Dec 1, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Subject: Cupertino Rotary - City of Cupertino Rotary Artistic Bicycle Racks Collaboration To: Seema Lindskog <[email protected]
>, <[email protected]>
Cc: George Denise Sr. <[email protected]>

Good evening,

My name is George Denise. I live at 12121 Mellowood Drive, Saratoga, California. I am retired now, but I was previously the Director of Operations and Sustainability for Oracle, and before that, I was the Managing Director and Global Account Manager for operations and sustainability for Adobe Systems. I am a member of Cupertino Rotary, and I was one of the leads installing the bicycle racks, volunteering over 50 hours of my time in the process.

I joined Cupertino Rotary because my family had a business in Cupertino for fifteen years, The Ski Renter, which was at 10675 S. De Anza Blvd., so it made sense from both a business and social standpoint, and I liked the character of the club. I have been a volunteer all of my life: Litte League, Soccer, Scouting, Chamber of Commerce, Building Owners and Managers Association, Institute of Real Estate Management, CoreNet (Corporate Real Estate Network), etc. Rotary International is a service organization and a very successful one, but Cupertino Rotary stands out even against that backdrop, and Cupertino is a wonderful community. That’s why I joined Cupertino Rotary.

The Artistic Bike Racks program was first conceived by Seema Lindskog. It was brought to the city over two years ago, discussed, designs developed, locations determined, all following the procedures laid out by the city. The final designs and locations were determined and approved by the city; the racks were fabricated by a company that has done literally thousands of these types of racks for hundreds of organizations and cities all across the country. The racks arrived, we coordinated their installation with the city, and we installed them. I was present and one of the leads for all but two of our approximately 20 workdays. It seemed like almost everyone who came by while we were installing them had to ask about them. Once we explained that they were artistic bicycle racks, and that it was a collaborative project between the Rotary Club and the city, people seemed to take great joy in that. The comments we heard were, “What a great project!” and “I think they are just beautiful!” and “Thank you so much for doing this!”

The day before the Fall Festival while we were setting up for it, I saw a couple with two little girls playing on the rack we installed in Memorial Park. They seemed to be having a good time, so I walked over to them and asked if I could take their picture playing on the rack. The parents said yes, so I did. Then the mother asked me what it was. She said at first she thought it might be to play on, but then saw bicycles attached to it so assumed it was a bicycle rack. I said, it is a bicycle rack, but it also is art. And like art, it is whatever you want it to be. It is intended to be an artistic bicycle rack. It is a beautiful, colorful, somewhat whimsical work of functional art. It is meant to add to the beauty and practicality of our community. It is a place for people to secure their bikes where they are out of the way, but where they can still keep an eye on them. It is also meant to protect the trees people have been attaching their bikes to because there were no racks. It is meant to facilitate people taking their bike rather than driving their car when appropriate. They are meant to be serious in function. And they are meant to be visually whimsical and fun.

Others will talk about those things I have mentioned above. I would like to address a different point.

Someone said this park is supposed to be a memorial to those who have sacrificed for their country. I agree. They also seem to think that bright, colorful, beautiful bicycle racks somehow deter from that. I disagree, and this is something I feel very strongly about.

I was in the Marine Corps Reserves from 1966 to 1971. My son was an officer in the Marine Corps from 2005 to 2011. My older brother was in the Navy from 1960 to 1964. My father was in the Army in the South Pacific from 1942 to 1945. He was part of the forces battling to free that part of the world, one island at a time. He contracted malaria, dysentery, pyorrhea and he suffered from malnutrition (as did 65% of the soldiers he was with). At Guadalcanal, he was blown out of his fox hole. He was then evacuated to a hospital tent, which was also blown up. At the end of the war, he spent three months in a hospital in Texas recuperating. My father had been a photographer, an artist, and a cartoonist before the war. In the midst of the horror of war, he drew cartoons making fun of some of the ironies of the war to entertain the troops around him and raise their spirits a little. That’s one of the purposes of art. Not doom and gloom, but to celebrate our brave citizens and enjoy the freedom they gave us.

Every generation in my family has served in the military going back to colonial times; not because we are part of some warrior class; far from it. We all have had careers unrelated to war and the military. We are simply trying to be responsible citizens answering the call when our country needs us. I can’t speak for everyone who is or was in the military, but I feel comfortable speaking on behalf of my family. We fought to preserve what we often call the “American way of life”. That includes taking our kids to the park, taking walks in the park, running in the park, practicing tai chi in the park, attending concerts in the park, and attending festivals in the park. And sometimes we play, and giggle, laugh and are raucous in the park! And some of our little ones learn to ride their bikes in the park because it is a safe place for them to do so. When they get older, sometimes they come to the park with their friends on their bikes, and sometimes they do ride too fast and aren’t as careful as they should be, but there have been very few accidents, and they are safer here than they are on the street. Afterall, these are our kids. We are part of a greater community, and these are our community’s kids. We want them to be safe, too. I don’t believe the park is supposed to be a dark, somber sanctum. Memorial Park should be bright, and colorful, and fun and full of laughter! That’s what we fought for.

The park is for everyone. Some ride bikes and like to be able to secure them when they are not riding them. The racks facilitate that. And they are fun, and they are beautiful!

Thank you,

George Denise
[email protected]
(408) 461-1068

[attached photos]

From: Arnav Gokhale
To: City Council
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: Rotary Artistic Bike Removal
Date: Sunday, November 30, 2025 5:57:56 PM
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,
It seems that there has been a recent motion to remove the artistic bike racks placed throughout the city.

This feels entirely unnecessary, as the racks not only serve a practical and valuable purpose but also contribute to the character of our public spaces.

I’ve seen countless kids, myself included, using them to park their bikes before entering a park. For many children, biking is the only practical way to reach the nearest park, and without a proper place to store their bikes, it becomes a significant inconvenience for the community.

Thanks,
Arnav
From: J Shearin
To: City Council; City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office Subject: Leave the fun and useful bike racks in Memorial Park and other city locations Date: Sunday, November 30, 2025 1:02:26 PM
Attachments: PastedGraphic-1.png
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.

Please include this message as part of Written Communication for the December 1 Council meeting.

Dear Mayor Chao and City Councilmembers:

It’s a fact that we have a limited budget in Cupertino—and that budget should be spent wisely.

That means not spending it to reduce the enjoyment and livability of our city, but rather to enhance it.

Therefore, it's frankly baffling why this council would consider wasting our tax dollars ripping out attractive and useful bike racks recently placed in our city. These bike racks are already being used and enjoyed by many people. A picture is below of the rack in Memorial Park on a recent weekend. As you can see, people of all ages, including small children, are enjoying using the new racks. There is not enough bike parking in many locations in the city—that is why the bike rack project was added to the CIP years ago.

I’ve heard that some Councilmembers are upset that they didn’t get to review the appearance and placement of the bike racks at the City Council. That’s not the standard procedure, and staff followed what is the proper procedure. The racks were installed after a two year process including design and placement review meetings by the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission and both Directors of Transportation and Parks and Recreation. More importantly, every procedure required by and directive given by the city was followed including a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Rotary Club and staff. If you are unhappy with the procedure, as Councilmembers you have the right to change it, of course—but this doesn’t mean the bike racks did not follow city procedure.

I’ve also heard that some Councilmembers are upset that there is a Rotary logo on the racks. The Rotary Club covered 90+% of the cost of the racks, transported the racks, poured the concrete footings/pads, and installed the bike racks all by themselves. The installation alone took at least 40 hours of work by a crew of 5 people. None of this was a city expense. It makes sense that if someone designs, purchases, funds and installs something, that they should have their name on it.

Plus, there’s other items in our city that have Rotary logos on them. It’s also standard across the world. My father was a 50+ year Lions Club member—and plenty of projects had the Lions Club logo prominently displayed in our hometown in Michigan.

I’ve also heard that there was a complaint that some seniors walking in Memorial Park were hit by a bike, one of whom then went to the Emergency Room, and this is the reason to get rid of bike racks in parks. It’s possible that this happened, but relying on anecdotal evidence instead of data for city decisions is not scientific (and a bad idea)—that’s why we have a collision dashboard for
Cupertino which includes data from a long list of organizations that track any accidents that occurred (see list below*). There are no accidents reported in the park for bicycles or pedestrians since 2018. If people getting hit by bikes in parks was an ongoing or even occasional issue, it would show up in the data.

The best decision for Cupertino is to leave the bike racks as they are currently installed, and let everyone—families, children, seniors, people who ride scooters, students, etc—enjoy their functionality, and fun appearance every day. I ask you to do just that.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Shearin
Cupertino resident
* Collision Dashboard inputs: Esri Community Maps Contributors, City of Cupertino, County of Santa Clara, California State Parks, Esri, TomTom, Garmin, SafeGraph, GeoTechnologies, Inc, METI/NASA, USGS, Bureau of Land Management, EPA, NPS, US Census Bureau, USDA, USFWS | City of Cupertino From: Cate Crockett
To: City Council
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: Bike rack agenda item
Date: Sunday, November 30, 2025 8:41:57 AM
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City Council members,
I urge you to vote to keep the Rotary bike racks in Memorial Park.

Thank you,
Cate Crockett
From: Sharlene Liu
To: City Council
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: keep the artistic bike racks
Date: Sunday, November 30, 2025 1:32:15 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 Cupertino City Council,
I am writing to ask you to allow the already-installed artistic bike racks to remain in place.

They are cute artistic installations that beautify the environment. They bring me much joy when I bike by them. Children derive even more pleasure from them. They are a celebration of art and of bicycling. And, they're already installed. Taking them out would cost money.

There's no downside to keeping them, whereas there's much upside by bringing joy to the community.

Sincerely,
Sharlene Liu
Chair, Sunnyvale Safe Streets
From: louise saadati
To: City Council; City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office Subject: Agenda Item 3 Dec 1 Special City Council Meeting Date: Sunday, November 30, 2025 1:11:33 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.

Please attach this email to the Written Communications
for the city council meeting of Dec 1, Agenda Item 3 for when the artistic bike racks are discussed.

Dear Honorable Mayor Chaio, Vice-Mayor Moore and
City Councilmembers:

Over a two year process, the artistic bike racks project led by the Cupertino Rotary had been discussed and
approved via the proper process involving the Rotary,
the Bike Ped Commission and the city staff including the Director of Public Works and the City Manager. The
artistic bike racks have now been installed, enjoyed and appreciated by the community at large.

My understanding is that the council will now be
discussing the possibility of new rules and procedures for installing bike racks in the future. Please do not make the new rules and procedures retroactive. Please do not spend money and staff time undoing the over 300 hours
spent the last two years discussing, coordinating and
installing the current bike racks. Please do not allow a couple of repetitive voices lead you to undo two years
worth of work. If this voice doesn’t even want bikes at a city park, then certainly there needs to be bike racks to enable bike riders to lock their bikes before walking in the park. The city parks are for everyone and should be inclusive rather than exclusive. Instead of being
negative and exclusive our city needs to be positive and inclusive.

The city does not have extra monies and staff time to
undo the work done over the last two years. Undoing the honest work done in good faith by the Rotary, the city
staff and the community sends a very negative message
to the Rotary, the community at large and the city.

A precedent of uninstalling work done over a two year
period following procedure casts a shadow over all
current Cupertino infrastructure and projects.

Please support the city-wide desire by the overwhelming majority of Cupertino residents to leave the current
artistic bike racks installed as they are for the community to enjoy. Since they have been installed, hundreds of
residents including walkers, parents, children, bikers, young, middle and older adults have already expressed
their joy and appreciation for the functionality, joy, art and fun from the installed artistic bike racks installed throughout Cupertino.

Thank you for keeping all this in mind during the City
Council meeting Dec 1.

Louise Saadati
Resident of Cupertino for 40 years
Sent from my iPhone
From: Beck Poltronetti
To: City Council
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office; [email protected] Subject: Rotary Bike Racks
Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025 10:43:51 PM
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.

Hello councilmembers,
I understand that you are busy individuals so I will keep this email short and to the point.

Removing the rotary bike racks would be a gross and, frankly, silly misuse of an already limited city budget. They are mounted firmly into concrete, and it would take an inordinate amount of effort to remove them, effort that would be much better used elsewhere.

The city’s budget should be put towards building new infrastructure, not tearing up existing infrastructure that is working just fine.

Regards,
Beck Poltronetti, Cupertino Resident
From: Anne Ng
To: City Council
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: bikes racks in parks, yes, please
Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025 6:02:25 PM
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 Councilmembers:

Please allow the Rotary Club to put bike racks in Cupertino parks. (Agenda Item #3 in the meeting this coming Monday.) Certainly you'd like to encourage folks to pedal rather than drive to our parks. Having a place to safely park and lock bikes would do that, as well as reduce the likelihood of them being dropped anywhere they'd be in the way of pedestrians.

Anne Ng
6031 Bollinger Road
Cupertino
From: John G
To: City Council
Cc: City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject: Agenda Item 3 - Keep and retain artistic bike racks, 12/1 council mtg Date: Monday, December 1, 2025 5:30:12 PM
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 Mayor Liang Chao and City Council members,
Please leave the artistic bike racks as they are. I heartily support the artistic bike rack program.

The bike racks are whimsical, beautiful and very well executed. Also, they are very cute. This is an example of a wonderful Cupertino program!
Thank you,
John Geis
Cupertino Resident
John Geis
408-209-6970 mobile
[email protected]