CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
CITY HALL
10300 TORRE AVENUE • CUPERTINO, CA 95014-3255
TELEPHONE: (408) 777-3212
CUPERTINO.GOV
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Date: October 20, 2026
Subject
Year One Update of the FY 2025-2027 City Work Program (CWP) and FY 2026-27 First Quarter (Q1) Update.
Recommended Action
Receive FY 2025-26 year-end wrap up and FY2026-27 Q1 update for the two-year FY 2025-2027 City Work Program.
Background
The City Work Program (CWP) guides some of the major efforts of the City over a two-year fiscal cycle and ensures that staff efforts are aligned with the City Council’s goals and community priorities. In March 2025, the City Council approved the priority items for the FY 2025-2027 CWP, which was later amended in December 2025 to add six new projects bringing the total to 30 projects (Attachment A).
This report provides a year-end update on the first year of the two-year CWP and a first-quarter update on its second year. This report also serves as the first Council check-in identified in the City’s new Strategic Plan (Attachment B), adopted by the City Council on July 7, 2026. The Strategic Plan guides implementation of the Strategic Vision Framework, establishes priorities for the CWP, and aligns resources across the CWP, operating budget, and 5-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
Staff have provided quarterly updates on all CWP items, which can be viewed on the City’s Info Memo Webpage and the City Work Program Webpage. Current updates for all projects are now available on the CWP Dashboard and are included as Attachment C.
Reasons for Recommendations and Options
As of October 2026, the City has completed 11 of the 30 CWP projects. Of the remaining projects, 18 were in progress and one, the Sign Ordinance, was canceled by the City Council in December 2025. As summarized in the table below, 12 of the projects in progress were more than 50% complete, while six were less than 50% complete. The updates for all projects are summarized below:
Completed
The following 11 CWP projects are completed as of October 2026. • Small Business Council / Economic Development: The Economic Development Committee was reinstated and began meeting regularly in November 2025. In April 2026, the Committee approved a work plan that included forming a subcommittee to develop and launch a Small Business Council focused on reducing compliance costs and streamlining oversight over businesses. The subcommittee was established in July to begin implementing this initiative.
• 5G Ordinance: This ordinance was adopted in October 2025 and went into effect in November 2025.
• Electrification Study: Staff completed outreach and policy research in 2025 and published an informational memo in January 2026 summarizing policy options informed by community input and legal constraints.
• Grants Analyst: Recruitment concluded and a Grants Analyst was hired and onboarded in December 2025.
• Financial, Investment, and Cashflow Policy Review: Staff completed a draft Investment Policy which was adopted by Council in May 2026. In October, staff completed revisions to the Cash Flow Policy and began implementing a new cash flow model. The updated Investment Policy is available on the City Finance webpage along with the latest revisions to the OPEB Trust Investment Policy and Pension Trust Investment Policy. • Unhoused Policies: Since the outset of this project in October 2024, staff have completed several milestones:
o During 2025, the City’s Homelessness Taskforce, led by the Community Development Department, collaborated with Public Works, the City Manager’s Office, and the Sheriff’s Office to successfully complete five (5) encampment abatements.
0 2
4 6
8 10
12 14
16 18
20 Complete In progress Canceled
FY 2025-2027 CWP Project Status
Under 50% Completed Over 50% Completed
o In April 2025, Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding for the City to join the West Valley Cities joint feasibility study to analyze challenges faced by unhoused people and the effectiveness of support services. o In September 2025, Council approved an ordinance to update municipal code sections governing vehicle parking regulations.
These accomplishments are further detailed in an informational memo published in March 2026.
• Enhance Senior Services: The City entered into an agreement with Avenidas to provide case management services at the Senior Center and offer targeted programming to support seniors aging in place. Staff will continue to use available resources, like Age Friendly Cities Network, to stay current on senior needs and will enhance City services on an operational basis.
• Preserve Existing and Develop New BMR/ELI Housing: In June 2025, Staff presented opportunities and strategies on preserving existing BMR housing. In February 2026, Council voted to proceed with the Mary Avenue Villas development project. In April, Council approved the application for a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. In May, Council approved a loan agreement for the Greenwood Court apartments, which extended the affordability terms of the units for an additional 99 years at no cost to the City. Future ELI and BMR projects for Developmentally Disabled Individuals will continue as part of City operations.
• Memorial Park Study Session: Staff published an informational memo in February outlining staff’s recommendations regarding recent suggestions to revise the plan to reduce its overall estimated cost. This item was also discussed at the March 3 Capital Improvement Programs (CIP) Study Session. Further direction regarding specific Memorial Park improvements can be provided by Council via the Capitol Improvement Program process.
• Protections for Parkland: In May, the City contracted with TeamCivX and Godbe Research who developed and distributed a survey to Cupertino residents in June. In July, staff presented a report to Council with the survey results, and on July 21 Council approved the submission of a ballot measure for the November election which, if passed, would require the rezoning of parks, parklands, or open space to be approved by two-thirds of Cupertino voters.
• Red Light Cameras: In July, staff completed research to identify costs, implementation requirements, and operational considerations for installing red-light cameras in Cupertino. On October 16, staff provided an informational memo to Council regarding considerations for the implementation of red-light cameras.
In Progress (More than 50% Complete)
Below are projects that are in progress, more than 50% complete, and expected to finish during FY2026-27 (by June 30, 2027):
• Economic Development for Retail and Small Businesses: Staff have executed several themed placemaking events to support local commerce and economic vitality and are continuing outreach to inform local businesses about the new Business Resource Hub, Business License Amnesty Program, and Small Business Spotlight Program. Staff continue to research regional best practices for small business permitting and the Economic Development Committee (EDC) is considering options for a permitting software tool.
Staff will update procedures, processes, and any public handouts by Summer 2027, if a permitting software tool is implemented.
• Permit Streamlining and Simplification for Small Home Upgrades: Staff have contracted with OpenCounter and are considering additional AI platforms to assist with improvements to the permitting process. Pending the results of a public survey launched in midSeptember, staff will prepare recommendations and present additional considerations to the Planning Commission in November followed by a City Council study session in December.
• Water Conservation Policies: Staff located areas of unprogrammed turf that would facilitate pollinator vegetation and initiated an irrigation pilot study to verify appropriate water usage. Staff are coordinating with the Sustainability Commission to prepare plans for turf conversion and to evaluate a pilot irrigation program by the end of 2026.
• City Properties: Planning for Optimal Use: On March 17, Council directed staff to remove the Blesch structure and return it to nature. Staff will return to Council in late 2026 / early 2027 with recommendations on the Stocklmeir property. Completion of these projects will continue as part of the CIP.
• Emergency Operations Readiness: In March 2026, the City executed an agreement with Witt O'Brien's to update the City’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). In June, Consultant and staff worked with the County at the Disaster Council meeting to review and assess the need for emergency policy updates and developed a plan for potential EOC activation. In July 2026, staff recruitment concluded and the City hired and onboarded an Emergency Services Coordinator. Staff are preparing to present the draft EOP to Disaster Council in October and to City Council in November. Upon adoption of the EOP, staff will begin implementation and training as part of City operations. • Residential and Mixed-Use Residential Design Standards: In February 2025, staff held a community meeting to solicit input from residents about the need for objective design standards. Staff are currently preparing draft resolutions and objective standards guidelines for internal review and will present the drafts to Planning Commission and City Council for review and approval in early 2027.
• Enhanced Notification for SB 330 and Other Projects During the Application and Approval Process: In September, staff completed research of industry standards, regional practices, and legal parameters to improve public notification and engagement during the development review process. Staff are developing recommendations for consideration and review by the Planning Commission in mid-October and City Council in November.
Notification updates are expected to be finalized in January 2027. • Speed Limit Lowering (AB 43): Initial speed limit adjustments have been implemented, with Municipal Code amendments pending completion of the citywide study currently underway. Ordinance adoption is expected by February 2027. • Active Transportation Plan: At the April 7 City Council meeting, staff presented project updates regarding the adoption of new scoring criteria to evaluate improvement projects based on safety, access, sustainability, multimodal balance, and cost effectiveness. Both the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission and Planning Commission have recommended that City Council adopt the plan. Council adoption of the plan is expected in January 2027. • Bicycle Facilities: Staff are assessing the need for future bike racks and are installing the U-shaped bike racks as needed. The Bicycle Pedestrian Commission is expected to consider the installation of additional U-shaped bike racks in October. Completion of bike rack installations is expected by June 2027.
• Art in Public and Private Areas: Staff are working on bringing this item back to Council for another study session by the end of 2026 to address feedback from the previous study session in October 2025. The Cupertino Municipal Code will be updated based on Council direction.
• Urban Forest Program: In March 2026, staff issued an RFP for a contractor to create the Urban Forest Master Plan to expand tree canopy and update the City’s tree list. A vendor was selected and contract was executed in April. Staff are currently soliciting public input, and the final plan is expected by the end of 2027. This item is expected to be added to the next two-year CWP (2027-2029).
In Progress (Less than 50% Complete)
The six projects below are in progress and less than 50% complete as they are longer term projects or projects that were added in December 2025.
• Defensible Impact Fee Nexus Study for Traffic Impact Fee, Retail Impact Fee, and Park Land Impact Fee: This is a year two project that was not expected to begin until July 1, 2026.
The City Attorney’s Office is working with various staff to solicit consultants to support this work. Staff completed an RFP for the Parkland Impact Fee and the selected vendor is moving forward with preparing the study. BMR Impact Fee RFQ was released in June and is currently under evaluation. Staff released an additional RFQ in August to study traffic impact fees, retail loss fees, and potentially other fees. Council will consider options in early 2027 once the fee studies are complete. • Public Outreach and Engagement Strategy: Research is underway to establish citywide standards for meaningful and consistent community engagement across all City projects. Staff have selected a vendor and executed an agreement to support this effort and aim to have a strategy completed early 2027.
• Housing Site Inventory: Staff published an informational memo on January 30, 2026, highlighting that the City’s Housing Element must be amended to remain compliant with the State’s No Net Loss Law. The City executed a contract with PlaceWorks in April to evaluate options for this item. Staff held a study session at the Planning Commission meeting in June 2026. Staff will update the Planning Commission, Housing Commission, and City Council once staff receives a response by the CA Department of Housing and Community Development.
• City Hall Annex Renovation (Including the EOC): Contractor Dialog Consulting is currently designing drawings for the City Hall Annex and future EOC and will secure a building permit by the end of 2026. Construction contractor procurement for City Hall Annex renovation is planned for early 2027, and renovation work is expected to begin in spring 2027 and is scheduled to end in Spring 2028.
• City Hall Retrofit: Procurement is currently underway and staff plan to execute contracts with both a bridging architect and an owner’s representative consultant by midDecember. The selected bridging architect will prepare schematic design drawings for Council review by mid-2027 followed by procurement in late-2027 for a vendor to oversee the design-build entity. Construction of retrofit improvements is expected to begin in July 2029.
• Preserving Retail in the City: Staff looked at other cities for potential ballot measures and did not find any related to preserving retail. The City of Sunnyvale has pursued preserving commercial and retail space through a rezoning ordinance and staff is looking into that process after the conclusion of the Housing Site Inventory project, which will help to identify any remaining retail parcels that can be preserved.
Cancelled
• Sign Ordinance: This item was removed by Council at the December 1, 2025 City Council meeting.
Next Steps
Staff will continue to provide regular quarterly updates on CWP items, with the second quarterly update for year two scheduled for February 2027. In Spring, as part of the bi-annual strategic planning process, the City Council will have the opportunity to reprioritize items for the FY 2027-2029 CWP. At that time, Council may reconsider adding the Sign Ordinance as well as any other priority projects.
Sustainability Impact
No sustainability impact.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
City Work Program (CWP) Item/Description
All
Council Goal:
All
TBD Item:
No
California Environmental Quality Act
The proposed action does not constitute a “project” subject to CEQA. _____________________________________
Prepared by: Andy Schramm, Management Analyst
Astrid Robles, Assistant to the City Manager
Reviewed by: Kirsten Squarcia, Deputy City Manager
Floy Andrews, Interim City Attorney
Approved for Submission by: Tina Kapoor, City Manager
Attachments:
A – FY 25-27 Adopted City Work Program – Modified December 2025 B – Strategic Plan
C – FY 25-27 City Work Program Dashboard Printout for FY 25-26 Q4 and FY 26-27 Q1