CC 01-25-2023 Searchable PacketCITY OF CUPERTINO
CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA
10350 Torre Avenue, Council Chamber and via Teleconference
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
4:00 PM
Televised Special Meeting
IN-PERSON AND TELECONFERENCE / PUBLIC PARTICIPATION INFORMATION
Members of the public wishing to observe the meeting may do so in one of the following
ways:
1) Attend in person at Cupertino Community Hall, 10350 Torre Avenue.
2) Tune to Comcast Channel 26 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 on your TV.
3) The meeting will also be streamed live on and online at www.Cupertino.org/youtube
and www.Cupertino.org/webcast
Members of the public wishing to comment on an item on the agenda may do so in the
following ways:
1) Appear in person at Cupertino Community Hall. Members of the audience who address
the City Council must come to the lectern/microphone, and are requested to complete a
Speaker Card and identify themselves. Completion of Speaker Cards and identifying
yourself is voluntary and not required to attend the meeting or provide comments.
2) E-mail comments by 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 25 to the Council at
citycouncil@cupertino.org. These e-mail comments will also be forwarded to
Councilmembers by the City Clerk’s office before the meeting and posted to the City’s
website after the meeting.
Members of the public may provide oral public comments during the meeting as follows:
Oral public comments will be accepted during the meeting. Comments may be made
during “oral communications” for matters not on the agenda, and during the public
comment period for each agenda item.
Teleconferencing Instructions
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City Council Agenda January 25, 2023
To address the City Council, click on the link below to register in advance and access the
meeting:
Online
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://cityofcupertino.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oJQS4mbKRj2cr3Gcwg3tXw
Phone
Dial: 669-900-6833 and enter Webinar ID: 948 7684 5510 (Type *9 to raise hand to speak, *6 to
unmute yourself). Unregistered participants will be called on by the last four digits of their
phone number.
Or an H.323/SIP room system:
H.323:
162.255.37.11 (US West)
162.255.36.11 (US East)
Meeting ID: 948 7684 5510
SIP: 94876845510@zoomcrc.com
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about
joining the webinar.
Please read the following instructions carefully:
1. You can directly download the teleconference software or connect to the meeting in your
internet browser. If you are using your browser, make sure you are using a current and
up-to-date browser: Chrome 30+, Firefox 27+, Microsoft Edge 12+, Safari 7+. Certain
functionality may be disabled in older browsers, including Internet Explorer.
2. You will be asked to enter an email address and a name, followed by an email with
instructions on how to connect to the meeting. Your email address will not be disclosed to
the public. If you wish to make an oral public comment but do not wish to provide your
name, you may enter “Cupertino Resident” or similar designation.
3. When the Mayor calls for the item on which you wish to speak, click on “raise hand,” or,
if you are calling in, press *9. Speakers will be notified shortly before they are called to
speak.
4. When called, please limit your remarks to the time allotted and the specific agenda topic.
5. Members of the public that wish to share a document must email cityclerk@cupertino.org
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City Council Agenda January 25, 2023
prior to speaking.
NOTICE AND CALL FOR A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CUPERTINO CITY COUNCIL
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special meeting of the Cupertino City Council is hereby
called for Wednesday, January 25, 2023, commencing at 4:00 p.m. in Community Hall
Council Chamber, 10350 Torre Avenue, Cupertino, California 95014 and via teleconference.
Said special meeting shall be for the purpose of conducting business on the subject matters
listed below under the heading, “Special Meeting."
SPECIAL MEETING
ROLL CALL
STUDY SESSION
1.Subject: Consider adopting Cupertino City Council Procedures Manual, including a
new Ceremonial Correspondence Policy (Continued from January 17, 2023)
Recommended Action: Provide input regarding Council procedures and approve
Resolution No. 23-021 adopting Cupertino City Council Procedures Manual, including
a new Ceremonial Correspondence Policy
Presenter: Christopher Jensen, City Attorney
Staff Report
A - Draft Resolution
B - Draft Cupertino City Council Procedures Manual (Annotated Redline)
C - Draft Cupertino City Council Procedures Manual (Clean Version)
2.Subject: Study Session to consider modifying Municipal Code Title 2 regarding
compositions and responsibilities of existing Commissions and Committees
(Continued from January 17, 2023)
Recommended Action: Direct staff to proceed with ordinance amendment to
consolidate existing Commissions and Committees
Presenter: Pamela Wu, City Manager
Staff Report from January 17, 2023
Supplemental Staff Report
A – Staff Report from February 15, 2022 City Council Meeting
ADJOURNMENT
Lobbyist Registration and Reporting Requirements: Individuals who influence or attempt to influence
legislative or administrative action may be required by the City of Cupertino’s lobbying ordinance
(Cupertino Municipal Code Chapter 2.100) to register and report lobbying activity. Persons whose
communications regarding any legislative or administrative are solely limited to appearing at or
submitting testimony for any public meeting held by the City are not required to register as lobbyists.
For more information about the lobbying ordinance, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 10300
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City Council Agenda January 25, 2023
Torre Avenue, Cupertino, CA 94107; telephone (408) 777-3223; email cityclerk@cupertino.org; and
website: www.cupertino.org/lobbyist.
The City of Cupertino has adopted the provisions of Code of Civil Procedure §1094.6; litigation
challenging a final decision of the City Council must be brought within 90 days after a decision is
announced unless a shorter time is required by State or Federal law.
Prior to seeking judicial review of any adjudicatory (quasi-judicial) decision, interested persons must
file a petition for reconsideration within ten calendar days of the date the City Clerk mails notice of the
City’s decision. Reconsideration petitions must comply with the requirements of Cupertino Municipal
Code §2.08.096. Contact the City Clerk’s office for more information or go to
http://www.cupertino.org/cityclerk for a reconsideration petition form.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), anyone who is planning to attend this
meeting who is visually or hearing impaired or has any disability that needs special assistance should
call the City Clerk's Office at 408-777-3223, at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting to arrange for
assistance. In addition, upon request, in advance, by a person with a disability, meeting agendas and
writings distributed for the meeting that are public records will be made available in the appropriate
alternative format.
Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the Cupertino City Council after publication of
the packet will be made available for public inspection in the City Clerk’s Office located at City Hall,
10300 Torre Avenue, Cupertino, California 95014, during normal business hours; and in Council
packet archives linked from the agenda/minutes page on the Cupertino web site.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please be advised that pursuant to Cupertino Municipal Code section
2.08.100 written communications sent to the Cupertino City Council, Commissioners or City staff
concerning a matter on the agenda are included as supplemental material to the agendized item. These
written communications are accessible to the public through the City’s website and kept in packet
archives. Do not include any personal or private information in written communications to the City
that you do not wish to make public, as written communications are considered public records and will
be made publicly available on the City website.
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CITY OF CUPERTINO
Agenda Item
23-11972 Agenda Date: 1/25/2023
Agenda #: 1.
Subject:Consider adopting Cupertino City Council Procedures Manual, including a new Ceremonial
Correspondence Policy (Continued from January 17, 2023)
Provide input regarding Council procedures and approve Resolution No. 23-021 adopting Cupertino City
Council Procedures Manual, including a new Ceremonial Correspondence Policy
Presenter: Christopher Jensen, City Attorney
CITY OF CUPERTINO Printed on 1/20/2023Page 1 of 1
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CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting: January 25, 2023
Subject
Consider adopting Cupertino City Council Procedures Manual, including a new
Ceremonial Correspondence Policy
Recommended Action
Provide input regarding Council procedures and consider approving Resolution No. 23-
021, adopting Cupertino City Council Procedures Manual, including a new Ceremonial
Correspondence Policy
Discussion
On January 17, 2023, the City Council considered a draft Cupertino City Council
Procedures Manual prepared by staff, along with Councilmember and public input
regarding the draft Manual. Council directed staff to collect and compile changes
recommended by the Council and return for a study session for further deliberation.
Following the submission of Council comments, staff considered Council and public
comments and incorporated certain comments into a revised draft of the Procedures
Manual. (See Attachment B (redline) and Attachment C (clean version).) Additional
edits proposed by Councilmembers, lightly edited for usage and clarity, are also
included for Council’s consideration as “comments” in Attachment B.
Staff recommends that Council review the edits proposed by staff and the additional
revisions proposed by Councilmembers and provide direction on revisions to the
Procedures Manual prior to final adoption. Per Council direction, it is anticipated that
final adoption will be deferred until the February 7 Council meeting.
Sustainability Impact
No sustainability impact.
Fiscal Impact
No fiscal impact.
_____________________________________
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Prepared by: Christopher D. Jensen, City Attorney
Approved for Submission by: Pamela Wu, City Manager
Attachments:
A - Draft Resolution
B - Draft Cupertino City Council Procedures Manual (Annotated Redline)
C - Draft Cupertino City Council Procedures Manual (Clean Version)
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RESOLUTION NO. 23‐________
A RESOLUTION OF THE CUPERTINO CITY COUNCIL ADOPTING
CUPERTINO CITY COUNCIL PROCEDURES MANUAL
WHEREAS, the Cupertino City Council has identified a need to adopt
policies and procedures governing the conduct of Council meetings and other
Council activities; and
WHEREAS, on January 25, 2023, the City Council considered proposed
policies and procedures at a duly noticed regular meeting of the City Council.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that:
1. The City Council hereby adopts the Cupertino City Council Procedures
Manual attached hereto as Exhibit A.
2. Resolution No. 19‐062 and any other procedures, policies, or rules that are
inconsistent with the Council Procedures adopted herein are hereby
repealed and rescinded.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a special meeting of the City Council of the City of
Cupertino this 25th day of January, 2023, by the following vote:
Members of the City Council
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
SIGNED:
________
Hung Wei, Mayor
City of Cupertino
________________________
Date
ATTEST:
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Resolution No. __________________
Page 2
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Kirsten Squarcia, City Clerk
________________________
Date
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City of Cupertino
City Council Procedures
Manual
Attachments:
Ex. A – Ceremonial Correspondence
Policy
Ex. B – Elected Officials’
Compensation Program
Ex. C – Council Technology Policy
Ex. D. – Resolution No. 07-103
Ex. E – Municipal Code Chapter 2.17
Effective Date:
DRAFT
Responsible Departments:
City Manager’s Office
Related Policies & Notes:
See Exhibits A–E.
1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose. The purpose of this Manual is to promote communication,
understanding, fairness, and trust among the members of the City Council,
City staff, and members of the public concerning their roles, responsibilities,
and expectations for management of the business of the City of Cupertino.
Comments:
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 1.1 to delete “and members of the
public.”
1.2 Values. Courtesy and respect for individual points of view should be practiced
at all times. All Councilmembers shall respect each other’s right to disagree. All
Councilmembers shall act with decorum and courtesy.
1.3 Brown Act. All actions of the City Council and City commissions, committees,
and subcommittees shall comply with the Ralph M. Brown Act.
Comments:
Councilmember Chao: Add a new Section 1.2 that reads as follows: “Principle. The
City Council maintains control as the governing body. This manual ensures free
and fair access to the flow of any information relative to the operation of the City
and free and fair access to public meetings.”
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2. Selection of the Mayor and Vice Mayor
2.1 Selection of Mayor and Vice Mayor. The Mayor and Vice Mayor shall be
selected annually at a special meeting on the second Thursday of December.
The Mayor and Vice Mayor shall not serve consecutive terms; provided,
however, this provision shall not prevent the Vice Mayor from succeeding to
the office of Mayor.
Comments:
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 2.1 to delete: “The Mayor and Vice
Mayor shall not serve consecutive terms; provided, however, this provision
shall not prevent the Vice Mayor from succeeding to the office of Mayor.”
2.2 Removal of Mayor and Vice Mayor. The Mayor or Vice Mayor may be
removed from office, for cause, by a 4/5ths affirmative vote of the members.
The Mayor or Vice Mayor must be advised of the proposed cause for removal
at least 72 hours before any action is taken. If the Mayor is removed from office,
the Vice Mayor shall become Mayor. If either officer is removed from office, the
Vice Mayor shall be appointed from among the remaining three
Councilmembers.
Comments:
Mayor Wei: Revise Section 2.3. to delete “for cause” and change “a 4/5ths
affirmative vote of the members” to “a majority affirmative vote of the
members.”
Councilmember Chao: Revise Section 2.3 to add: “Removal for cause shall
mean removal of a Councilmember because of such member’s (a) willful and
continued failure substantially to perform their duties, (b) conviction for, or
guilty plea to, a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude, or (c) abuse of
illegal drugs or other controlled substances or habitual intoxication. The
removal should precede with a formal warning, which states with proven
evidence of the member’s failure to perform their duties and proposed
corrective measures.”
3. Councilmember Committees and Subcommittees
3.1 Appointment. The Mayor shall appoint Councilmembers to standing and ad
hoc committees and subcommittees established by the City Council, subject to
ratification by the Council at its next regular meeting. It will be the
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responsibility of the committees and subcommittees to inform and submit
recommendations to the Council.
Comments:
Councilmember Chao: Replace Section 3.1 with the following: “It will be the
responsibility of the committees and subcommittees to inform and submit
recommendations to the Council. The purpose and scope of each standing or
ad hoc committee should be stated when it is formed and re-stated when
councilmembers are appointed to the committee at a regular meeting.
• The City Manager shall prepare a report to Council about the anticipated
time commitment required for staff to assist the Ad Hoc Committee.
• Information: The scope, membership, time of creation and estimated
number of meetings for each Ad Hoc Committee shall be posted to the City
Council website.
• Termination: A majority of the Council may vote to terminate any Ad Hoc
Committee following a written report by the committee.
• Ad Hoc Committees do not constitute legislative bodies and are not subject
to the requirements of the Brown Act. Standing committees that have a
continuing or indefinite jurisdiction are subject to the Brown Act.”
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 3.1 as follows: “The Mayor shall
appoint Councilmembers to standing committees and all Councilmembers may
nominate any Councilmember to ad hoc committees and subcommittees
established by the City Council, with consideration of Councilmember
preference, equitable distribution, seniority, experience, and benefit to the
committee, subject to ratification by the Council at its next regular meeting. It
will be the responsibility of the committees and subcommittees to inform and
submit recommendations to the Council.”
3.2 Instructions and Expectations. The Council shall make certain that all Council
committees and subcommittees are properly instructed in their assigned scope
of work and responsibilities. The committee’s or subcommittee’s jurisdiction
shall be defined in writing and approved by a majority of the City Council. All
Council committees and subcommittees having a continuing or indefinite
jurisdiction shall be subject to the Brown Act.
3.3 Reporting. Council committee and subcommittee members are to keep the
Council informed of the work and progress of their committee or
subcommittee. These reports or minutes shall be made in writing whenever a
recommendation is made to the Council.
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Comments:
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 3.3 as follows: “Council committee and
subcommittee members are to keep the Council informed of the work and
progress of their committee or subcommittee. These reports or minutes shall be
made in writing whenever a recommendation is made to the Council.”
4 Other City Commissions and Committees
4.1 Responsibility. The Council will make appointments to City’s commissions
and committees. Qualifications to serve on commissions and committees shall
be set forth in the Municipal Code or by a resolution or motion of the Council
that is not inconsistent with the Municipal Code. Appointment of
Councilmembers to City committees shall be governed by the procedures in
Section 3.
4.2 Attendance at Council Meetings. At least one commission member must
attend City Council meetings when the commission has an item of interest on
the Council agenda, so as to be available to answer Council questions.
Comments:
Mayor Wei: Revise Section 4.2 to add: “ . . . Staff shall provide the commission
with advance notice for the commission to select a member to attend the City
Council meeting.”
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 4.2 as follows: “At least one
commission member, preferably the Chair or Vice Chair, must attend City
Council meetings when the commission has an item of interest on the Council
agenda, so as to be available to answer Council questions.”
4.3 Performance Expectations. The Council shall make certain that all
commissions and committees are properly instructed on their responsibilities
and performance expectations. This will include the issuance of a Council-
approved Commission and Committee Handbook and a mandatory annual
training session for all Commission and Committee members.
4.4 Appointment. Commission and Committee applicants will be interviewed by
the Council before being voted on by the Council in a noticed public meeting.
Applicants are considered by motion and appointed by a majority vote of
Council. Two members of an immediate family or persons residing in the same
household shall not be allowed to serve simultaneously on the same
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commission or committee. Immediate family members residing in the same
household as a Councilmember are not eligible for appointment to any
commission or committee. Former Councilmembers are not eligible for
appointment to any commission or committee within four years of having
served on the City Council.
Comments:
Multiple Councilmembers: Revise Section 4.4 as follows: “. . . Former
Councilmembers are not eligible for appointment to service on any commission
or committee within four years of having served on the City Council.”
Councilmember Chao: Delete the last sentence of Section 4.4 (“Former
Councilmembers are not eligible for appointment to any commission or
committee within four years of having served on the City Council.”). Add:
“City staff should report communications from former Councilmembers and
former commissioners on issues related to City business through phone calls or
in-person communications.”
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 4.4 as follows: “. . . Former
Councilmembers are not eligible for appointment to any commission or
committee within four years of having served on the City Council.
Commissioners and committee members shall not be employees of the City or
companies which the City contracts with, or employees of subcontracted
companies.”
4.5 Removal. The City Clerk shall remove commission or committee members for
failure to comply with attendance policies adopted in the Commission and
Committee Handbook Commissioner’s Handbook. Council retains full
discretion to review commission and committee member performance and may
take disciplinary action as needed, including removal from the commission or
committee.
Comments:
Staff Recommendation: Revise Section 4.5 to strike references to committees in
the first sentence.
Councilmember Chao: Revise Section 4.5 as follows: “The City Clerk shall
remove inform the Council to consider removal of commission or committee
members for failure to comply with attendance policies adopted in the
Commission and Committee Handbook . . . . “
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4.6 Undue Influence on Commissioners. Councilmembers should not attempt to
influence or publicly criticize commission recommendations or to influence or
lobby individual commission members on any item under their consideration.
It is important for commissions to be able to make objective recommendations
to the City Council on items before them. Councilmembers that attempt to
influence commission positions on an item may prejudice or hinder their role in
reviewing the commission’s recommendation as a member of the City Council.
Individual Councilmembers and commissioners shall have the right to attend
meetings of commissions and other Cupertino governmental bodies but shall
refrain from speaking or becoming involved in deliberations.
Comments:
Staff Recommendation: Delete “and commissioners” from the last sentence of
Section 4.6.
Councilmember Moore: Delete “Individual Councilmembers and
commissioners shall have the right to attend meetings of commissions and
other Cupertino governmental bodies but shall refrain from speaking or
becoming involved in deliberations.”
Councilmember Chao: Add two new paragraphs in Section 4 that read as follows:
“On every item within the jurisdiction of a commission, the staff liaison
shall work with the commission chair to schedule the item to receive inputs
and seek recommendations from the commission, as time permits. The staff
report at the Council meeting shall include commission inputs and
recommendations. Rationale should be given when commission inputs are
not available for an item within their jurisdiction.”
“Respect the Role of Council Members as Policy Makers for the City. Staff
is expected to provide its best professional recommendations on issues.
Staff should not try to determine Council support for particular positions or
recommendations in order to craft recommendations. The Council must be
able to depend upon the staff to make independent recommendations. Staff
should provide information about alternatives to staff recommendations as
appropriate, as well as pros and cons for staff recommendations and
alternatives.”
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5. Administrative Matters
5.1 Attendance. City Councilmembers acknowledge that attendance at lawful
meetings of the City Council is part of their official duty. Councilmembers shall
make a good faith effort to attend all such meetings. Council members shall
notify the Mayor or the City Clerk if they will be absent from a meeting.
Comments:
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 5.1 to add the following: “Council
attendance will be noted in the agenda of the next regular meeting and
thereafter for that calendar year, if three or more meetings are missed.”
5.2 Correspondence. Proposed correspondence from the Mayor or other
Councilmembers on City stationery should generally be reviewed by the
Council in draft form prior to release. On occasion, there are urgent requests
from the League of California Cities for correspondence concerning legislation
directly affecting municipalities. If the Mayor and the City Manager agree that
the League’s position corresponds with that of the Council, the Mayor may
send a letter without first obtaining Council approval. City letterhead will be
made available for routine correspondence (e.g., thank you notes). Official
correspondence (including email) from Councilmembers should be respectful
and professional.
Comments:
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 5.2 to add the following: “Official
correspondence from any member of Council shall be provided to all members
of Council.”
5.3 Regional Bodies. The Mayor shall appoint Councilmembers to represent the
City of Cupertino on regional bodies subject to ratification by the Council at its
next regular meeting. The Mayor should endeavor to provide all
Councilmembers a fair opportunity to represent the City. The positions taken
by the appointed representatives should be in alignment with the positions that
Council has taken on issues that directly impact the City of Cupertino. If an
issue arises that is specific to Cupertino and Council has not taken a position,
the issue should be discussed by Council prior to taking a formal position at a
regional board meeting to assure that it is in alignment with Council’s position.
Council representatives to such various boards shall keep the Council informed
of ongoing business through brief oral or written reports to the Council.
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Councilmembers shall make a good faith effort to attend all regional meetings
that require a quorum of the appointed members to convene a meeting.
Attendance should not be less than 75% of all scheduled meetings. If a
Councilmember is unable to attend, they should notify their alternate as far in
advance of the meeting as possible so as to allow the alternate to attend.
Comments:
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 5.3 as follows: “Council representatives
to such various boards shall keep the Council informed of ongoing business
through brief oral or and written reports to the Council”; and add the
following: “The Council representative shall provide a written report to
Council consistent with Section 3.3.”
5.4 Responses to Public. It will be the responsibility of the City Manager to ensure
a response is provided to public correspondence for informational requests
addressed to the Council. Staff shall respond to all requests for services as
appropriate, and the City Manager shall keep Council informed of the City
response.
5.5 Ceremonial Correspondence. Proclamations, certificates of appreciation or
recognition, and letters of recognition or support are discretionary public
announcements directing attention to a local resident, organization, or event.
The Mayor may issue ceremonial proclamations, certificates, and letters as set
forth in the City of Cupertino Ceremonial Correspondence Policy (Exhibit A).
5.6 Reimbursement. City Councilmembers may be reimbursed for expenses for
travel to and lodging at conferences or meetings related to their role as a
Councilmember as stated in the Elected Officials’ Compensation Program, as
may be amended from time to time (Exhibit B). Any additional expenses that
fall outside the scope of this policy may be reimbursed only if approved by the
City Council, at a public meeting before the expenses are incurred. Any request
for reimbursement of expenses shall be accompanied by an expense form and
receipts to document the expenditure. These documents are public records
subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act. Councilmembers
shall be eligible to receive City-issued hardware and software for the conduct
of official business pursuant to the Council Technology Policy (Exhibit C).
5.7 Council Training. Any member of the City Council and City commissions or
advisory committees formed by the City Council shall receive ethics and anti-
harassment training required by state law. New members must receive the
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training within their first year of service. Members shall attend training
sessions that are offered locally in the immediate vicinity of Santa Clara County
or by completing online a state-approved public service ethics education
program, or at any conference attended . The City Clerk shall keep ethics
training records for five years.
Comments:
Staff Recommendation: Any member of the City Council and City
commissions or advisory committees formed by the City Council shall receive
ethics and anti-harassment training required by state law. New members must
receive the training within their first year of service and shall comply with
ongoing training requirements imposed by state law. Members shall attend
training sessions that are offered locally in the immediate vicinity of Santa
Clara County or, by completing online a state-approved public service ethics
education program, or through a state-approved training which may be
provided at a conference attended by the member. The City Clerk shall keep
ethics training records for five years.
Councilmember Fruen: Revise Section 5.7 to delete requirement that state-
approved ethics education must be online.
5.8 Mayor’s Initiative Budget. The Mayor may use the Mayor’s initiative budget
established as part of the City Manager’s discretionary fund for projects that
the Mayor deems appropriate during the Mayor's term of office, subject to the
requirements of Resolution No. 07-103 (Exhibit D). The amount of the Mayor's
initiative budget is determined by the City Council.
6. Relationship with City Staff
6.1 Incorporation of Municipal Code by Reference. Cupertino Municipal Code
Chapter 2.17 (Exhibit E) governs the City Council’s relationship with the City
Manager and their staff under the Council-Manager form of government. To
the extent that the provisions of Chapter 2.17 are not set below, they are
incorporated by reference into this Manual.
6.2 Council/Manager Form of Government. Under the Council/Manager form of
government, the City Council sets policy direction as the direct representatives
of the community with the City Manager providing the professional expertise
to manage the organization and carry out the Council's direction. The City
Manager is responsible for carrying out the Council's policy direction through
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the day-to-day management of City functions, including the oversight of City
operating departments. Neither individual Councilmembers nor the Council
as a whole shall interfere with the City Manager’s performance of the
administrative duties conferred upon them in Cupertino Municipal Code
section 2.28.040.
6.3 Council-Manager Relations. The City Council and its members shall deal
with the administrative services of the City only through the City Manager,
except for the purpose of inquiry, and neither the City Council nor any
Councilmember shall give orders to any subordinates of the City Manager.
The City Manager shall take instructions from the City Council only when
given at a duly held meeting of the City Council, and no individual
Councilmember shall give any instructions to the City Manager.
6.4 Individual Councilmember Influence on Staff Decisions Prohibited.
Individual Councilmembers shall not attempt to influence staff decisions,
recommendations, workloads, and schedules, and department priorities
without prior knowledge and approval of the City Council. If a
Councilmember wishes to influence the actions, decisions, recommendations,
workloads, work schedules and priorities of staff, that member must prevail
upon the City Council to do so as a matter of Council policy.
6.5 Decorum. All Councilmembers and City staff shall treat each other with
dignity, courtesy, and respect. In exercising the City Council’s policymaking
authority, Councilmembers must often critique, modify, or reject a staff
recommendation. While thorough vetting and criticism of staff policy
recommendations or decisions is a necessary component of Council’s
policymaking role, criticism should focus on the policy recommendations and
decisions and should avoid personal attacks. Councilmembers shall refrain
from publicly criticizing the general abilities, character, or motivations of any
staff member and should share any such concerns privately with the City
Manager or City Attorney.
6.6 Councilmember Access to Information. City Council members have free
access to the flow of any information related to the operation of the City. The
City Manager shall ensure that such information is communicated by staff in
full and with candor to the Council. City staff will make every effort to
respond in a timely and professional manner to all requests made by
individual council members for information or assistance, provided that, in
the judgment of the City Manager, the request is not of a magnitude either in
terms of workload or policy, which would require that it more appropriately
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be assigned to staff through the collective direction of the City Council, based
on the guidelines set forth in Cupertino Municipal Code section 2.17.043. No
Councilmember shall circumvent the City Manager’s direction regarding a
request for information by seeking information through a Public Records Act
request.
Comments:
Mayor Wei: Revise Section 6.6 as follows: “. . . No Councilmember shall
circumvent the City Manager’s direction regarding a request for information
by seeking information through a Public Records Act request except with the
approval of the Council with a majority affirmative vote of the members.”
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 6.6 to delete the sentence: “No
Councilmember shall circumvent the City Manager’s direction regarding a
request for information by seeking information through a Public Records Act
request.”
6.7 Authority of City Council. Nothing in this Manual shall limit the City
Council’s power to accept, reject, amend, or otherwise guide and direct staff
actions, decisions, recommendations, workloads and schedules, department
priorities, and the conduct of city business through the office of the City
Manager. This power cannot be delegated to individual Councilmembers, nor
to committees composed of Councilmembers consisting of less than a quorum
of the City Council.
7. Agendas and Staff Reports
7.1 Future Agenda Items. The City Manager, the City Attorney, the Mayor, or any
two Councilmembers may request that an item be added to a future agenda for
Council action. The City Manager shall provide a quarterly report to Council
regarding the status of future agenda items, which may include a request to
remove items from the list of future agenda items. Any item may be removed
for the future agenda items list by a majority vote of the City Council.
Comments:
Mayor Wei: Revise section 7.1 as follows: “The City Manager shall provide a
quarterly report to Council regarding the status of future agenda items, which
may include a request to remove items that are outdated or obsolete, from the
list of future agenda items. Any item Outdated or obsolete items may be
removed for the future agenda items list by a majority vote of the City Council.
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The City Manager may ask Council to reaffirm that items remain on the future
agenda items list with the support of two council members.”
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 7.1 to delete the sentence: “Any item
may be removed for the future agenda items list by a majority vote of the City
Council.”
7.2 Preparation of Agenda. The City Clerk shall prepare the agenda in
consultation with the City Manager, the Mayor, and the City Attorney. Absent
exigent circumstances, an item will be scheduled for Council action no sooner
than 14 days after receipt of a request to add the item to the future agenda
items list. Any item requiring preparation of a staff report requires City
Manager approval or, in case of a report prepared by City Attorney’s Office
staff, City Attorney approval, before being added to an agenda. The Mayor, in
consultation with the City Manager and the City Clerk, shall determine the
order of items on the agenda.
7.3 Agenda Item Descriptions. Each agenda item shall include a brief general
description of the matter to be discussed (approximately 20 words in length),
including any action that may be taken under the California Environmental
Quality Act, and should generally include the recommendation of the City
Manager.
7.4 Staff Reports. Staff reports should include the following sections:
1. Subject
2. Recommended Action
2. Reasons for Recommendation
3. Sustainability Impact
4. Fiscal Impact
5. California Environmental Quality Act
7.5 Agenda Publication. Agenda packets for a regular meeting should be
published and delivered to Councilmembers no later than the Thursday
Wednesday prior to a Tuesday Council meeting. Councilmembers are
encouraged to contact staff in advance for answers to questions regarding an
agenda packet. Written communications addressed to Council shall be
forwarded to Council and made available to members of the public, consistent
with the requirements of the Brown Act.
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Comments:
Staff Recommendation: Revise Section 7.5 to require the publication of agenda
packets no later than the Wednesday prior to a regular Council meeting.
7.6 Supplemental Materials. Supplemental reports received by the City Clerk after
the agenda is published but before 12:00 p.m. on the Monday prior to the City
Council meeting shall be published and delivered to Councilmembers at 5:00
p.m. on Monday. Supplemental reports received by the City Clerk after 12:00
p.m. on Monday but before 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting shall be
published and delivered to Councilmembers prior to the Council meeting.
Comments:
Councilmember Chao: Add a new paragraph that reads as follows: “Questions
and all staff-prepared responses will be forwarded to all Councilmembers as
well as put up on the special web page created for public review of Council
agenda questions and staff responses. Staff will include the name of the
Councilmember posing the questions in the ‘subject’ field of the e-mail
response. Written copies of all Councilmember agenda questions and staff
responses will be at Council places at the meeting; additionally copies will be
made available in the Council Chambers for members of the public.”
8. Meeting Procedures
8.1 Meeting Schedule. The City Council conducts its regular meetings on the first
and third Tuesdays of the month, except when Council is in recess. At the
second regular meeting in January, the City Council will approve the schedule
of meetings for the calendar year, which in addition to the regular meeting
schedule may include the cancellation of regular meetings and the addition of
special meetings and study sessions. This practice does not, however, preclude
the Mayor or a majority of the members of the City Council from calling
additional meetings pursuant to the Brown Act.
8.2 Seating of Councilmembers. For meetings held in Council Chambers at
Community Hall, the Mayor shall be seated at the center of the dais and the
Vice Mayor shall be seated immediately to the Mayor’s left. The remaining
Councilmembers shall be seated in order of seniority as follows: (1) the seat
immediately to the right of the Mayor; (2) the last seat on left side of the dais;
(3) the last seat on the right side of the dais. Seniority shall be based on the
number of consecutive years of service on the City Council. If two members
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have equal seniority based on service, the member with the higher vote count
in their most recent election is considered to have higher seniority.
Comments:
Staff Recommendation: Delete Section 8.2.
8.3 Rules of Order. City Council meetings shall be governed by Rosenberg’s Rules
of Order. Unless otherwise required by state law or City ordinance, decisions of
the Council shall be made by a majority of members present and voting. The
Mayor may impose additional reasonable procedural rules not inconsistent
with Rosenberg’s Rules of Order and the provisions of this Manual, unless
objected to by a majority of Councilmembers present.
8.4 Order of Business. The order of agenda items for regular Council meetings is
as follows:
1. Call to Order
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Roll Call
4. Closed Session Report
5. Ceremonial Items
6. Oral Communications (public comment on non-agenda matters)
7. Consent Calendar
8. Public Hearings
9. Action Calendar
10. Council Reports and Comments
11. City Manager Report
12. Oral Communications (continued)
1213 Informational Items
1314 Adjournment
Oral communications shall be limited to 30 minutes. Additional speakers
wishing to comment on non-agenda items may be given time to speak at the
end of the agenda, after the City Manager’s report. In the absence of an
objection made by a majority of Councilmembers present and voting, the
Mayor may modify the order of business to facilitate the fair and efficient
conduct of Council meetings.
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Comments:
Staff Recommendation: Revise Section 8.4 to include any oral communications
that continue beyond the allotted 30 minutes in the Order of Business.
8.5 Consent Calendar.
8.5.1 Adding Item to Consent Calendar. The Mayor, the City Manager, the
City Attorney, or the City Clerk may recommend that items appearing
on the agenda be placed on the consent calendar for action by the City
Council. In addition, any item may be placed on the consent calendar by
a majority vote of the City Council. All items placed on the consent
calendar shall appear together on the agenda with the recommendation
as to the action to be taken by the City Council with respect to such item.
Upon the motion of any member of the City Council, all items placed
upon the consent calendar may be acted upon together, and each shall
be deemed to have received the action recommended. Items may be
removed from the consent calendar only by a member of the City
Council.
Comments:
Mayor Wei: Revise Section 8.5.1 as follows: “. . . Items may be removed
from the consent calendar only by a member of the City Council. Items
may be removed from the consent calendar by a member of the public
with the approval of the Council with a majority affirmative vote of the
members. The member of the public requesting removal must state the
reason for the request.”
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 8.5.1 to delete: “Items may be
removed from the consent calendar only by a member of the City
Council.”
8.5.2 Removing Item from Consent Calendar. Any member of the City
Council who would like to remove an item from the consent calendar
shall notify the City Manager and the City Clerk prior to the meeting.
Although members of the City Council are encouraged to ask questions
and share concerns about the agenda item with staff before the meeting,
they are not required to do so. Items removed from the consent calendar
shall be placed at the end of the agenda for consideration.
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Comments:
Councilmember Moore: Delete Section 8.5.2.
Councilmember Fruen: Revise Section 8.5.2 to allow Councilmembers to
remove at most one item from the consent calendar without providing
notice before the Council meeting begins.
8.6 Public Comment. An opportunity for public comment shall be provided for
the consent calendar, each other agenda item under consideration, and, during
regular meetings, on any matter that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of
the City Council. The Mayor may consolidate public comment for related
agenda items, subject to overruling by a majority vote of the Council. Non-
agenda matters (including Council and staff reports and informational items)
may be addressed by the public during oral communications. Members of the
public wishing to speak regarding an item shall submit a request to comment
to the Clerk (“blue card”) or, where applicable, raise their hand in Zoom within
five minutes of the time the Mayor opens public comment. Each individual
speaker will ordinarily have up to three minutes to address the Council. If a
speaker representing five or more members of the public in attendance and
wishing to comment on the item but electing not to speak, the speaker may
have up to 10 minutes to address the Council. Consolidation of time among
speakers is not otherwise allowed. No member of the public may be allocated
more than a combined total of 10 minutes to speak during a Council meeting. If
a large number of speakers wish to address Council on an item, the Mayor may
reduce the time allotted to each speaker consistent with the Brown Act. Twice
the speaking time will be provided to any member of the public who uses a
translator.
Comments:
Mayor Wei: Revise Section 8.6 as follows: “. . . Members of the public wishing
to speak regarding an item shall submit a request to comment to the Clerk
(“blue card”) or, where applicable, raise their hand in Zoom within five nine
minutes of the time the Mayor opens public comment . Each individual speaker
will ordinarily have up to three minutes to address the Council. If a speaker is
representing themself and one other member of the public in attendance
wishing to comment on the item but electing not to speak, the speaker may
have up to five minutes to address the Council. If a is speaker representing
themself and two other members of the public in attendance, the speaker may
have up to seven minutes to address the Council. If a speaker is representing
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themself and three other members of the public in attendance, the speaker may
have 9 minutes to address the Council. If a speaker representing five or more
members of the public in attendance and wishing to comment on the item but
electing not to speak, the speaker may have up to 10 minutes to address the
Council. Consolidation of time among speakers is not otherwise allowed. No
member of the public may be allocated more than a combined total of 10
minutes to speak during a Council meeting. If a large number of speakers wish
to address Council on an item, the Mayor may reduce the time allotted to each
speaker consistent with the Brown Act. Twice the speaking time will be
provided to any member of the public who uses a translator. All public
comments must be relevant to the issue before the City Council. Arguments for
or against a measure should be stated as concisely as possible.”
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 8.6 to delete: “No member of the public
may be allocated more than a combined total of 10 minutes to speak during a
Council meeting.”
Councilmember Fruen: Revise Section 8.6 to remove the 10-minute limit on
total time for public comment by a single member of the public and to increase
the length of time members of the public have to raise their hand or submit a
blue card to speak to 9 minutes.
8.7 Communications with Members of the Public. The City Council may ask
questions of speakers providing public comment but should avoid an extended
discussion with members of the public during meetings. Additionally, when a
member of the public provides comments regarding a matter that is not on the
agenda, Councilmembers may (1) refer the speaker to staff; (2) refer the speaker
to appropriate reference material; (3) request that staff report back at a future
meeting; or (4) request that staff place the item on a future agenda.
Councilmembers should not otherwise respond to or comment on an item of
business that is not on the agenda. City staff should generally avoid responding
to comments or questions from members of the public during Council
meetings, although the City Manager or City Attorney may offer to arrange a
time to discuss the subject matter of public comments with members of the
public subsequent to the Council meeting.
8.8 Conduct of Meetings
8.8.1 Councilmembers. Members of the City Council value and recognize the
importance of the trust invested in them by the public to accomplish the
business of the City. Councilmembers shall accord courtesy to each other,
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to City employees, and to members of the public appearing before the
City Council.
8.8.2 City Employees. City staff shall observe the same rules of decorum
applicable to the City Council. City staff shall act at all times in a
businesslike and professional manner towards Councilmembers and
members of the public.
8.8.3 Members of the Public. Members of the public attending City Council
meetings are encouraged to treat Councilmembers, City staff, and other
members of the public with the same courtesy that Councilmembers and
City staff must accord to them. Any members of the public who engages
in conduct that disrupts a City Council meeting shall be removed from the
meeting. Nothing in this Manual or any rules of conduct that may be
adopted by the City Council shall be construed to prohibit public criticism
of the policies, procedures, programs, or services of the City, or of the acts
or omissions of the City Council, City advisory bodies, or City staff.
8.9 Discussion and Deliberation
8.9.1 Ex Parte Contacts. Councilmembers shall disclose any ex parte contacts
prior to deliberation on a quasi-adjudicative matter.
Comments:
Staff Recommendation: Replace Section 8.9.1 with the following:
“Ex Parte Communications. Councilmembers shall disclose any ex parte
communications prior to deliberation on a quasi-judicial matter. A quasi-
judicial matter is typically a hearing in which the City Council hears
evidence and makes findings of fact to reach a conclusion based on the
applicable law. An ex parte communication occurs when a
Councilmember hearing a quasi-judicial matter communicates directly or
indirectly with any person or party in connection with a matter before the
Council, without notice and the opportunity for all parties to participate.”
8.9.2 Relevance. All discussion must be relevant to the issue before the City
Council. A Councilmember is given the floor only for the purpose of
discussing the pending matter; discussion which departs from the item
agendized for discussion is out of order. Councilmembers should avoid
repetition and shall not discuss matters that are not on the agenda.
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Arguments for or against a measure should be stated as concisely as
possible.
8.9.3 Council Questions and Deliberations. Councilmembers may obtain the
floor by seeking recognition from the Mayor. Following presentations to
Council on an agenda item, Councilmembers shall each be given 5
minutes to ask questions of any presenter. The Mayor may allow
additional time for questions where appropriate. Following public
comment, the Mayor may request that a motion be made and seconded.
After the motion has been stated to the Council and seconded, any
member of the Council has a right to discuss the motion after obtaining
the floor. A member who has been recognized should limit their time to 5
minutes.
Comments:
Mayor Wei: Revise Section 8.9.3 to add the following: “. . . The Mayor may
allow additional time for deliberation where appropriate.”
Councilmember Fruen: Replace Section 8.9.3 with the following:
“Councilmembers may obtain the floor by seeking recognition from the
Mayor. Following presentations to Council on an agenda item,
Councilmembers shall each be given five minutes to ask questions of any
presenter. The Mayor may allow additional time for questions where
appropriate. Following public comment, the Mayor may request that a
motion be made and seconded. After the motion has been stated to the
Council and seconded, any member of the Council has a right to discuss
the motion after obtaining the floor. A member who has been recognized
shall limit their time to five minutes. The Mayor may allow additional
time for questions where appropriate. This rule shall displace any
conflicting rule in the City’s adopted rules of procedure.”
8.9.4 Opportunity for Equal Participation. It is the policy of the Council to
encourage the full, fair participation of all members of the Council in
discussions and deliberations. The Mayor may impose reasonable limits
on the time any Councilmember is permitted to speak to advance this
policy. In addition, all Councilmembers wishing to be recognized should
be given an opportunity to speak before any member is allowed to speak a
second time.
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8.9.5 Civility. While it is appropriate to vigorously debate a motion, its nature,
or its consequences, Councilmembers shall avoid attacks on the motives,
character, or personality of other Councilmembers, City staff, and
members of the public. The Mayor shall rule out of order any
Councilmember who engages in such attacks.
8.9.6 Role of the Mayor. The Mayor has the responsibility for controlling and
expediting the discussion of an agenda item. It is the duty of the Mayor to
keep the subject clearly before the Councilmembers, to rule out irrelevant
discussion, and to ensure civil discussion among Councilmembers.
8.10 Meeting Length. Meetings of the City Council shall adjourn by 11:00 p.m.
unless the time of adjournment is extended by a vote of a majority of the City
Council. Discussion of an agenda item shall not begin after 10:30 p.m. Any
motion to extend the meeting beyond 11:00 p.m. shall include a list of specific
agenda items to be discussed or approved and shall specify the order these
items shall be considered. If a meeting continues past 11:00 p.m., it shall end at
11:30 p.m. All meetings shall be adjourned at 11:30 p.m. unless by a 2/3 vote the
City Council suspends this rule and votes affirmatively to extend the meeting
past 11:30 p.m. Following the adjournment of the meeting, any remaining items
on the agenda shall be continued to the next regular meeting of the City
Council.
Comments:
Councilmember Fruen: Revise Section 8.10 to require only a majority of
members present and voting to extend Council meetings past 11:30 p.m.,
instead of a 2/3 vote of the Council.
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 8.10 as follows: “Meetings of the City
Council shall adjourn by 1112:00 p.m. a.m. unless the time of adjournment is
extended by a vote of a majority of the City Council. Discussion of an agenda
item shall not begin after 1011:30 p.m. Any motion to extend the meeting
beyond 1112:00 p.m. a.m. shall include a list of specific agenda items to be
discussed or approved and shall specify the order these items shall be
considered. If a meeting continues past 1112:00 p.m. a.m., it shall end at 1112:30
p.m. a.m. All meetings shall be adjourned at 1112:30 p.m. a.m. unless by a 2/3
vote the City Council suspends this rule and votes affirmatively to extend the
meeting past 1112:30 p.m. a.m. Following the adjournment of the meeting, any
remaining items on the agenda shall be continued to the next regular meeting
of the City Council.”
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8.11 Public Hearing Procedures. The order of proceeding where there is a public
hearing item (non-appeal items) before the City Council shall be as follows:
1. Open Public Hearing
2. Staff Report (≤ 10 minutes)
3. Applicant’s presentation (where applicable) (≤ 8 minutes)
4. Questions from the Council
5. Public comment
6. Applicant’s response to public comment (where applicable) (2 minutes)
7. Close Public Hearing
8. City Council discussion and vote
Where the public hearing involves an appeal of a decision to the City Council,
the order of proceeding shall be as follows:
1. Open Public Hearing
2. Staff Report (≤ 10 minutes)
3. Appellant’s statement (≤ 8 minutes)
4. Applicant’s statement (where applicable) (≤ 8 minutes)
5. Questions from the Council
6. Public comment
7. Applicant’s response to public comment (where applicable) (2 minutes)
8. Appellant’s response to public comment (2 minutes)
9. Close Public Hearing
10. City Council discussion and vote
Comment:
Councilmember Moore: Revise Section 8.11 to indicate that time limits are
recommendations rather than strict requirements (e.g., “preferably ≤ 8
minutes”).
8.12 City Council Recess Period. The City Council recess period shall begin the first
Tuesday in August and end the Tuesday following Labor Day. During any
recess period, the City Manager is authorized to take such ministerial actions
for matters of operational urgency, including such emergency actions as are
necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety,
as would normally be taken by the City Council during the period of recess,
except for those duties specifically reserved to the Council by law. This
authority extends throughout the period of recess established by the City
Council and includes the authority to execute agreements and make
expenditures necessary for the exigent operational matters. The City Manager
shall make a full and complete report to the City Council at its first regularly
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scheduled meeting following the period of recess of actions taken by the City
Manager pursuant to this section, at which time the City Council may make
such findings as may be required to ratify the actions of the City Manager.
Nothing in this Section prevents the City Council from calling a special meeting
during the recess period.
Comments:
Staff Recommendation: Revise Section 8.12 to clarify that a special meeting
may be called during the recess period.
Councilmember Chao: Add a new paragraph to Section 8 that reads as follows:
“Study Sessions. Study Sessions are meetings during which the Council receives
information about City business in an informal setting. The informal study session
setting is intended to encourage in-depth discussion and detailed questioning and
brainstorming by Council on issues of significant interest including City policy
matters, zoning applications, and major public works projects. The Council may
discuss the material freely without following formal rules of parliamentary
procedure. Staff may be directed to bring matters back for future Council
consideration as no action can be taken at a study session. The Decorum rules still
apply to the behavior of the Council and public."
9. Closed Sessions
A closed session may be held at any regular or special meeting for any purpose
authorized by the Brown Act. The City Attorney will schedule closed session
meetings in consultation with the Mayor and the City Manager. Public comment
shall be received in open session prior to a closed session. To ensure strict
compliance with the Brown Act, the City Attorney or the City Attorney’s designee
shall report out in public session any reportable action taken during closed session
and any other information from closed session authorized to be disclosed based on a
majority vote of the City Council.
10. Enforcement of Rules; Suspension of Rules
The City Council may enforce repeated or serious violations of the rules set forth in
this Manual through a censure action placed on a Council agenda. Nothing in this
Manual shall be cited to invalidate a properly noticed and acted upon action of the
City Council. Any rule set forth in this Manual may be suspended by a 2/3 vote of
the Council.
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City of Cupertino
City Council Procedures
Manual
Attachments:
Ex. A – Ceremonial Correspondence
Policy
Ex. B – Elected Officials’
Compensation Program
Ex. C – Council Technology Policy
Ex. D. – Resolution No. 07-103
Ex. E – Municipal Code Chapter 2.17
Effective Date:
DRAFT
Responsible Departments:
City Manager’s Office
Related Policies & Notes:
See Exhibits A–E.
1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose. The purpose of this Manual is to promote communication,
understanding, fairness, and trust among the members of the City Council,
City staff, and members of the public concerning their roles, responsibilities,
and expectations for management of the business of the City of Cupertino.
1.2 Values. Courtesy and respect for individual points of view should be practiced
at all times. All Councilmembers shall respect each other’s right to disagree. All
Councilmembers shall act with decorum and courtesy.
1.3 Brown Act. All actions of the City Council and City commissions, committees,
and subcommittees shall comply with the Ralph M. Brown Act.
2. Selection of the Mayor and Vice Mayor
2.1 Selection of Mayor and Vice Mayor. The Mayor and Vice Mayor shall be
selected annually at a special meeting on the second Thursday of December.
The Mayor and Vice Mayor shall not serve consecutive terms; provided,
however, this provision shall not prevent the Vice Mayor from succeeding to
the office of Mayor.
2.2 Removal of Mayor and Vice Mayor. The Mayor or Vice Mayor may be
removed from office, for cause, by a 4/5ths affirmative vote of the members.
The Mayor or Vice Mayor must be advised of the proposed cause for removal
at least 72 hours before any action is taken. If the Mayor is removed from office,
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the Vice Mayor shall become Mayor. If either officer is removed from office, the
Vice Mayor shall be appointed from among the remaining three
Councilmembers.
3. Councilmember Committees and Subcommittees
3.1 Appointment. The Mayor shall appoint Councilmembers to standing and ad
hoc committees and subcommittees established by the City Council, subject to
ratification by the Council at its next regular meeting. It will be the
responsibility of the committees and subcommittees to inform and submit
recommendations to the Council.
3.2 Instructions and Expectations. The Council shall make certain that all Council
committees and subcommittees are properly instructed in their assigned scope
of work and responsibilities. The committee’s or subcommittee’s jurisdiction
shall be defined in writing and approved by a majority of the City Council. All
Council committees and subcommittees having a continuing or indefinite
jurisdiction shall be subject to the Brown Act.
3.3 Reporting. Council committee and subcommittee members are to keep the
Council informed of the work and progress of their committee or
subcommittee. These reports or minutes shall be made in writing whenever a
recommendation is made to the Council.
4 Other City Commissions and Committees
4.1 Responsibility. The Council will make appointments to City’s commissions
and committees. Qualifications to serve on commissions and committees shall
be set forth in the Municipal Code or by a resolution or motion of the Council
that is not inconsistent with the Municipal Code. Appointment of
Councilmembers to City committees shall be governed by the procedures in
Section 3.
4.2 Attendance at Council Meetings. At least one commission member must
attend City Council meetings when the commission has an item of interest on
the Council agenda, so as to be available to answer Council questions.
4.3 Performance Expectations. The Council shall make certain that all
commissions and committees are properly instructed on their responsibilities
and performance expectations. This will include the issuance of a Council‐
approved Commission and Committee Handbook and a mandatory annual
training session for all Commission and Committee members.
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4.4 Appointment. Commission and Committee applicants will be interviewed by
the Council before being voted on by the Council in a noticed public meeting.
Applicants are considered by motion and appointed by a majority vote of
Council. Two members of an immediate family or persons residing in the same
household shall not be allowed to serve simultaneously on the same
commission or committee. Immediate family members residing in the same
household as a Councilmember are not eligible for appointment to any
commission or committee. Former Councilmembers are not eligible for
appointment to any commission or committee within four years of having
served on the City Council.
4.5 Removal. The City Clerk shall remove commission members for failure to
comply with attendance policies adopted in the Commissioner’s Handbook.
Council retains full discretion to review commission and committee member
performance and may take disciplinary action as needed, including removal
from the commission or committee.
4.6 Undue Influence on Commissioners. Councilmembers should not attempt to
influence or publicly criticize commission recommendations or to influence or
lobby individual commission members on any item under their consideration.
It is important for commissions to be able to make objective recommendations
to the City Council on items before them. Councilmembers that attempt to
influence commission positions on an item may prejudice or hinder their role in
reviewing the commission’s recommendation as a member of the City Council.
Individual Councilmembers shall have the right to attend meetings of
commissions and other Cupertino governmental bodies but shall refrain from
speaking or becoming involved in deliberations.
5. Administrative Matters
5.1 Attendance. City Councilmembers acknowledge that attendance at lawful
meetings of the City Council is part of their official duty. Councilmembers shall
make a good faith effort to attend all such meetings. Council members shall
notify the Mayor or the City Clerk if they will be absent from a meeting.
5.2 Correspondence. Proposed correspondence from the Mayor or other
Councilmembers on City stationery should generally be reviewed by the
Council in draft form prior to release. On occasion, there are urgent requests
from the League of California Cities for correspondence concerning legislation
directly affecting municipalities. If the Mayor and the City Manager agree that
the League’s position corresponds with that of the Council, the Mayor may
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send a letter without first obtaining Council approval. City letterhead will be
made available for routine correspondence (e.g., thank you notes). Official
correspondence (including email) from Councilmembers should be respectful
and professional.
5.3 Regional Bodies. The Mayor shall appoint Councilmembers to represent the
City of Cupertino on regional bodies subject to ratification by the Council at its
next regular meeting. The Mayor should endeavor to provide all
Councilmembers a fair opportunity to represent the City. The positions taken
by the appointed representatives should be in alignment with the positions that
Council has taken on issues that directly impact the City of Cupertino. If an
issue arises that is specific to Cupertino and Council has not taken a position,
the issue should be discussed by Council prior to taking a formal position at a
regional board meeting to assure that it is in alignment with Council’s position.
Council representatives to such various boards shall keep the Council informed
of ongoing business through brief oral or written reports to the Council.
Councilmembers shall make a good faith effort to attend all regional meetings
that require a quorum of the appointed members to convene a meeting.
Attendance should not be less than 75% of all scheduled meetings. If a
Councilmember is unable to attend, they should notify their alternate as far in
advance of the meeting as possible so as to allow the alternate to attend.
5.4 Responses to Public. It will be the responsibility of the City Manager to ensure
a response is provided to public correspondence for informational requests
addressed to the Council. Staff shall respond to all requests for services as
appropriate, and the City Manager shall keep Council informed of the City
response.
5.5 Ceremonial Correspondence. Proclamations, certificates of appreciation or
recognition, and letters of recognition or support are discretionary public
announcements directing attention to a local resident, organization, or event.
The Mayor may issue ceremonial proclamations, certificates, and letters as set
forth in the City of Cupertino Ceremonial Correspondence Policy (Exhibit A).
5.6 Reimbursement. City Councilmembers may be reimbursed for expenses for
travel to and lodging at conferences or meetings related to their role as a
Councilmember as stated in the Elected Officials’ Compensation Program, as
may be amended from time to time (Exhibit B). Any additional expenses that
fall outside the scope of this policy may be reimbursed only if approved by the
City Council, at a public meeting before the expenses are incurred. Any request
for reimbursement of expenses shall be accompanied by an expense form and
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receipts to document the expenditure. These documents are public records
subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act. Councilmembers
shall be eligible to receive City‐issued hardware and software for the conduct
of official business pursuant to the Council Technology Policy (Exhibit C).
5.7 Council Training. Any member of the City Council and City commissions or
advisory committees formed by the City Council shall receive ethics and anti‐
harassment training required by state law. New members must receive the
training within their first year of service. Members shall attend training
sessions that are offered locally in the immediate vicinity of Santa Clara County
or by completing online a state‐approved public service ethics education
program, or at any conference attended . The City Clerk shall keep ethics
training records for five years.
5.8 Mayor’s Initiative Budget. The Mayor may use the Mayor’s initiative budget
established as part of the City Manager’s discretionary fund for projects that
the Mayor deems appropriate during the Mayorʹs term of office, subject to the
requirements of Resolution No. 07‐103 (Exhibit D). The amount of the Mayorʹs
initiative budget is determined by the City Council.
6. Relationship with City Staff
6.1 Incorporation of Municipal Code by Reference. Cupertino Municipal Code
Chapter 2.17 (Exhibit E) governs the City Council’s relationship with the City
Manager and their staff under the Council‐Manager form of government. To
the extent that the provisions of Chapter 2.17 are not set below, they are
incorporated by reference into this Manual.
6.2 Council/Manager Form of Government. Under the Council/Manager form of
government, the City Council sets policy direction as the direct representatives
of the community with the City Manager providing the professional expertise
to manage the organization and carry out the Councilʹs direction. The City
Manager is responsible for carrying out the Councilʹs policy direction through
the day‐to‐day management of City functions, including the oversight of City
operating departments. Neither individual Councilmembers nor the Council
as a whole shall interfere with the City Manager’s performance of the
administrative duties conferred upon them in Cupertino Municipal Code
section 2.28.040.
6.3 Council‐Manager Relations. The City Council and its members shall deal
with the administrative services of the City only through the City Manager,
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except for the purpose of inquiry, and neither the City Council nor any
Councilmember shall give orders to any subordinates of the City Manager.
The City Manager shall take instructions from the City Council only when
given at a duly held meeting of the City Council, and no individual
Councilmember shall give any instructions to the City Manager.
6.4 Individual Councilmember Influence on Staff Decisions Prohibited.
Individual Councilmembers shall not attempt to influence staff decisions,
recommendations, workloads, and schedules, and department priorities
without prior knowledge and approval of the City Council. If a
Councilmember wishes to influence the actions, decisions, recommendations,
workloads, work schedules and priorities of staff, that member must prevail
upon the City Council to do so as a matter of Council policy.
6.5 Decorum. All Councilmembers and City staff shall treat each other with
dignity, courtesy, and respect. In exercising the City Council’s policymaking
authority, Councilmembers must often critique, modify, or reject a staff
recommendation. While thorough vetting and criticism of staff policy
recommendations or decisions is a necessary component of Council’s
policymaking role, criticism should focus on the policy recommendations and
decisions and should avoid personal attacks. Councilmembers shall refrain
from publicly criticizing the general abilities, character, or motivations of any
staff member and should share any such concerns privately with the City
Manager or City Attorney.
6.6 Councilmember Access to Information. City Council members have free
access to the flow of any information related to the operation of the City. The
City Manager shall ensure that such information is communicated by staff in
full and with candor to the Council. City staff will make every effort to
respond in a timely and professional manner to all requests made by
individual council members for information or assistance, provided that, in
the judgment of the City Manager, the request is not of a magnitude either in
terms of workload or policy, which would require that it more appropriately
be assigned to staff through the collective direction of the City Council, based
on the guidelines set forth in Cupertino Municipal Code section 2.17.043. No
Councilmember shall circumvent the City Manager’s direction regarding a
request for information by seeking information through a Public Records Act
request.
6.7 Authority of City Council. Nothing in this Manual shall limit the City
Council’s power to accept, reject, amend, or otherwise guide and direct staff
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actions, decisions, recommendations, workloads and schedules, department
priorities, and the conduct of city business through the office of the City
Manager. This power cannot be delegated to individual Councilmembers, nor
to committees composed of Councilmembers consisting of less than a quorum
of the City Council.
7. Agendas and Staff Reports
7.1 Future Agenda Items. The City Manager, the City Attorney, the Mayor, or any
two Councilmembers may request that an item be added to a future agenda for
Council action. The City Manager shall provide a quarterly report to Council
regarding the status of future agenda items, which may include a request to
remove items from the list of future agenda items. Any item may be removed
for the future agenda items list by a majority vote of the City Council.
7.2 Preparation of Agenda. The City Clerk shall prepare the agenda in
consultation with the City Manager, the Mayor, and the City Attorney. Absent
exigent circumstances, an item will be scheduled for Council action no sooner
than 14 days after receipt of a request to add the item to the future agenda
items list. Any item requiring preparation of a staff report requires City
Manager approval or, in case of a report prepared by City Attorney’s Office
staff, City Attorney approval, before being added to an agenda. The Mayor, in
consultation with the City Manager and the City Clerk, shall determine the
order of items on the agenda.
7.3 Agenda Item Descriptions. Each agenda item shall include a brief general
description of the matter to be discussed (approximately 20 words in length),
including any action that may be taken under the California Environmental
Quality Act, and should generally include the recommendation of the City
Manager.
7.4 Staff Reports. Staff reports should include the following sections:
1. Subject
2. Recommended Action
2. Reasons for Recommendation
3. Sustainability Impact
4. Fiscal Impact
5. California Environmental Quality Act
7.5 Agenda Publication. Agenda packets for a regular meeting should be
published and delivered to Councilmembers no later than the Wednesday prior
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to a Tuesday Council meeting. Councilmembers are encouraged to contact staff
in advance for answers to questions regarding an agenda packet. Written
communications addressed to Council shall be forwarded to Council and made
available to members of the public, consistent with the requirements of the
Brown Act.
7.6 Supplemental Materials. Supplemental reports received by the City Clerk after
the agenda is published but before 12:00 p.m. on the Monday prior to the City
Council meeting shall be published and delivered to Councilmembers at 5:00
p.m. on Monday. Supplemental reports received by the City Clerk after 12:00
p.m. on Monday but before 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting shall be
published and delivered to Councilmembers prior to the Council meeting.
8. Meeting Procedures
8.1 Meeting Schedule. The City Council conducts its regular meetings on the first
and third Tuesdays of the month, except when Council is in recess. At the
second regular meeting in January, the City Council will approve the schedule
of meetings for the calendar year, which in addition to the regular meeting
schedule may include the cancellation of regular meetings and the addition of
special meetings and study sessions. This practice does not, however, preclude
the Mayor or a majority of the members of the City Council from calling
additional meetings pursuant to the Brown Act.
8.2 Rules of Order. City Council meetings shall be governed by Rosenberg’s Rules
of Order. Unless otherwise required by state law or City ordinance, decisions of
the Council shall be made by a majority of members present and voting. The
Mayor may impose additional reasonable procedural rules not inconsistent
with Rosenberg’s Rules of Order and the provisions of this Manual, unless
objected to by a majority of Councilmembers present.
8.3 Order of Business. The order of agenda items for regular Council meetings is
as follows:
1. Call to Order
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Roll Call
4. Closed Session Report
5. Ceremonial Items
6. Oral Communications (public comment on non‐agenda matters)
7. Consent Calendar
8. Public Hearings
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9. Action Calendar
10. Council Reports and Comments
11. City Manager Report
12. Oral Communications (continued)
13. Informational Items
14. Adjournment
Oral communications shall be limited to 30 minutes. Additional speakers
wishing to comment on non‐agenda items may be given time to speak at the
end of the agenda, after the City Manager’s report. In the absence of an
objection made by a majority of Councilmembers present and voting, the
Mayor may modify the order of business to facilitate the fair and efficient
conduct of Council meetings.
8.4 Consent Calendar.
8.4.1 Adding Item to Consent Calendar. The Mayor, the City Manager, the
City Attorney, or the City Clerk may recommend that items appearing
on the agenda be placed on the consent calendar for action by the City
Council. In addition, any item may be placed on the consent calendar by
a majority vote of the City Council. All items placed on the consent
calendar shall appear together on the agenda with the recommendation
as to the action to be taken by the City Council with respect to such item.
Upon the motion of any member of the City Council, all items placed
upon the consent calendar may be acted upon together, and each shall
be deemed to have received the action recommended. Items may be
removed from the consent calendar only by a member of the City
Council.
8.4.2 Removing Item from Consent Calendar. Any member of the City
Council who would like to remove an item from the consent calendar
shall notify the City Manager and the City Clerk prior to the meeting.
Although members of the City Council are encouraged to ask questions
and share concerns about the agenda item with staff before the meeting,
they are not required to do so. Items removed from the consent calendar
shall be placed at the end of the agenda for consideration.
8.5 Public Comment. An opportunity for public comment shall be provided for
the consent calendar, each other agenda item under consideration, and, during
regular meetings, on any matter that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of
the City Council. The Mayor may consolidate public comment for related
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agenda items, subject to overruling by a majority vote of the Council. Non‐
agenda matters (including Council and staff reports and informational items)
may be addressed by the public during oral communications. Members of the
public wishing to speak regarding an item shall submit a request to comment
to the Clerk (“blue card”) or, where applicable, raise their hand in Zoom within
five minutes of the time the Mayor opens public comment. Each individual
speaker will ordinarily have up to three minutes to address the Council. If a
speaker representing five or more members of the public in attendance and
wishing to comment on the item but electing not to speak, the speaker may
have up to 10 minutes to address the Council. Consolidation of time among
speakers is not otherwise allowed. No member of the public may be allocated
more than a combined total of 10 minutes to speak during a Council meeting. If
a large number of speakers wish to address Council on an item, the Mayor may
reduce the time allotted to each speaker consistent with the Brown Act. Twice
the speaking time will be provided to any member of the public who uses a
translator.
8.6 Communications with Members of the Public. The City Council may ask
questions of speakers providing public comment but should avoid an extended
discussion with members of the public during meetings. Additionally, when a
member of the public provides comments regarding a matter that is not on the
agenda, Councilmembers may (1) refer the speaker to staff; (2) refer the speaker
to appropriate reference material; (3) request that staff report back at a future
meeting; or (4) request that staff place the item on a future agenda.
Councilmembers should not otherwise respond to or comment on an item of
business that is not on the agenda. City staff should generally avoid responding
to comments or questions from members of the public during Council
meetings, although the City Manager or City Attorney may offer to arrange a
time to discuss the subject matter of public comments with members of the
public subsequent to the Council meeting.
8.7 Conduct of Meetings
8.7.1 Councilmembers. Members of the City Council value and recognize the
importance of the trust invested in them by the public to accomplish the
business of the City. Councilmembers shall accord courtesy to each other,
to City employees, and to members of the public appearing before the
City Council.
8.7.2 City Employees. City staff shall observe the same rules of decorum
applicable to the City Council. City staff shall act at all times in a
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businesslike and professional manner towards Councilmembers and
members of the public.
8.7.3 Members of the Public. Members of the public attending City Council
meetings are encouraged to treat Councilmembers, City staff, and other
members of the public with the same courtesy that Councilmembers and
City staff must accord to them. Any members of the public who engages
in conduct that disrupts a City Council meeting shall be removed from the
meeting. Nothing in this Manual or any rules of conduct that may be
adopted by the City Council shall be construed to prohibit public criticism
of the policies, procedures, programs, or services of the City, or of the acts
or omissions of the City Council, City advisory bodies, or City staff.
8.8 Discussion and Deliberation
8.8.1 Ex Parte Contacts. Councilmembers shall disclose any ex parte contacts
prior to deliberation on a quasi‐adjudicative matter.
8.8.2 Relevance. All discussion must be relevant to the issue before the City
Council. A Councilmember is given the floor only for the purpose of
discussing the pending matter; discussion which departs from the item
agendized for discussion is out of order. Councilmembers should avoid
repetition and shall not discuss matters that are not on the agenda.
Arguments for or against a measure should be stated as concisely as
possible.
8.8.3 Council Questions and Deliberations. Councilmembers may obtain the
floor by seeking recognition from the Mayor. Following presentations to
Council on an agenda item, Councilmembers shall each be given 5
minutes to ask questions of any presenter. The Mayor may allow
additional time for questions where appropriate. Following public
comment, the Mayor may request that a motion be made and seconded.
After the motion has been stated to the Council and seconded, any
member of the Council has a right to discuss the motion after obtaining
the floor. A member who has been recognized should limit their time to 5
minutes.
8.8.4 Opportunity for Equal Participation. It is the policy of the Council to
encourage the full, fair participation of all members of the Council in
discussions and deliberations. The Mayor may impose reasonable limits
on the time any Councilmember is permitted to speak to advance this
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policy. In addition, all Councilmembers wishing to be recognized should
be given an opportunity to speak before any member is allowed to speak a
second time.
8.8.5 Civility. While it is appropriate to vigorously debate a motion, its nature,
or its consequences, Councilmembers shall avoid attacks on the motives,
character, or personality of other Councilmembers, City staff, and
members of the public. The Mayor shall rule out of order any
Councilmember who engages in such attacks.
8.8.6 Role of the Mayor. The Mayor has the responsibility for controlling and
expediting the discussion of an agenda item. It is the duty of the Mayor to
keep the subject clearly before the Councilmembers, to rule out irrelevant
discussion, and to ensure civil discussion among Councilmembers.
8.9 Meeting Length. Meetings of the City Council shall adjourn by 11:00 p.m.
unless the time of adjournment is extended by a vote of a majority of the City
Council. Discussion of an agenda item shall not begin after 10:30 p.m. Any
motion to extend the meeting beyond 11:00 p.m. shall include a list of specific
agenda items to be discussed or approved and shall specify the order these
items shall be considered. If a meeting continues past 11:00 p.m., it shall end at
11:30 p.m. All meetings shall be adjourned at 11:30 p.m. unless by a 2/3 vote the
City Council suspends this rule and votes affirmatively to extend the meeting
past 11:30 p.m. Following the adjournment of the meeting, any remaining items
on the agenda shall be continued to the next regular meeting of the City
Council.
8.10 Public Hearing Procedures. The order of proceeding where there is a public
hearing item (non‐appeal items) before the City Council shall be as follows:
1. Open Public Hearing
2. Staff Report (≤ 10 minutes)
3. Applicant’s presentation (where applicable) (≤ 8 minutes)
4. Questions from the Council
5. Public comment
6. Applicant’s response to public comment (where applicable) (2 minutes)
7. Close Public Hearing
8. City Council discussion and vote
Where the public hearing involves an appeal of a decision to the City Council,
the order of proceeding shall be as follows:
1. Open Public Hearing
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2. Staff Report (≤ 10 minutes)
3. Appellant’s statement (≤ 8 minutes)
4. Applicant’s statement (where applicable) (≤ 8 minutes)
5. Questions from the Council
6. Public comment
7. Applicant’s response to public comment (where applicable) (2 minutes)
8. Appellant’s response to public comment (2 minutes)
9. Close Public Hearing
10. City Council discussion and vote
8.11 City Council Recess Period. The City Council recess period shall begin the first
Tuesday in August and end the Tuesday following Labor Day. During any
recess period, the City Manager is authorized to take such ministerial actions
for matters of operational urgency, including such emergency actions as are
necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety,
as would normally be taken by the City Council during the period of recess,
except for those duties specifically reserved to the Council by law. This
authority extends throughout the period of recess established by the City
Council and includes the authority to execute agreements and make
expenditures necessary for the exigent operational matters. The City Manager
shall make a full and complete report to the City Council at its first regularly
scheduled meeting following the period of recess of actions taken by the City
Manager pursuant to this section, at which time the City Council may make
such findings as may be required to ratify the actions of the City Manager.
Nothing in this Section prevents the City Council from calling a special meeting
during the recess period.
9. Closed Sessions
A closed session may be held at any regular or special meeting for any purpose
authorized by the Brown Act. The City Attorney will schedule closed session
meetings in consultation with the Mayor and the City Manager. Public comment
shall be received in open session prior to a closed session. To ensure strict
compliance with the Brown Act, the City Attorney or the City Attorney’s designee
shall report out in public session any reportable action taken during closed session
and any other information from closed session authorized to be disclosed based on a
majority vote of the City Council.
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10. Enforcement of Rules; Suspension of Rules
The City Council may enforce repeated or serious violations of the rules set forth in
this Manual through a censure action placed on a Council agenda. Nothing in this
Manual shall be cited to invalidate a properly noticed and acted upon action of the
City Council. Any rule set forth in this Manual may be suspended by a 2/3 vote of
the Council.
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CITY OF CUPERTINO
Agenda Item
23-11973 Agenda Date: 1/25/2023
Agenda #: 2.
Subject:Study Session to consider modifying Municipal Code Title 2 regarding compositions and
responsibilities of existing Commissions and Committees (Continued from January 17, 2023)
Direct staff to proceed with ordinance amendment to consolidate existing Commissions and Committees
Presenter: Pamela Wu, City Manager
CITY OF CUPERTINO Printed on 1/20/2023Page 1 of 1
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CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting: January 17, 2023
Subject
Study Session to consider modifying Municipal Code Title 2 regarding compositions
and responsibilities of existing Commissions and Committees
Recommended Action
Direct staff to proceed with ordinance amendment to consolidate existing Commissions
and Committees
Discussion
The City currently has ten Commissions and five Committees as stipulated in Title 2 of
the Cupertino Municipal Code. In addition, the Administrative Hearing Committee,
Fiscal Strategic Committee, and Legislative Review Committee are non-codified
standing committees. Altogether there are 17 Commissions and Committees in total,
along with Council subcommittees that were formed to focus on areas of concern. Each
of the Commissions, Committees, and subcommittees is supported by a staff liaison to
serve these bodies. With the current staffing challenge and the unusually high number
of commissions / committees / subcommittees that the City supports, staff recommends
the City Council consolidate the Commissions and Committees into the following:
Arts and Culture Commission
Bicycle Pedestrian Commission
Housing Commission
Library Commission
Parks & Recreation Commission
Planning Commission (including functions that were previously designated
for Design Review Committee and Environmental Review Committee)
Public Safety Commission
Sustainability Commission
Teen Commission
TICC (Technology, Information & Communication Commission)
Administrative Hearing Committee
Audit Committee
Disaster Council
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Further, staff recommends Council discontinue all previously formed subcommittees
and delegate the areas of concerns to the City Manager to review and research. When
the analysis is completed, staff will bring back a recommendation for Council to
consider before proceeding on the final direction.
Based on the aforementioned recommendation, the City will have a total of 13
Commissions and Committees.
Background
Commissions
There are ten City Commissions tasked with advising the City Council in the formation
of policy. With the partial exception of the Planning Commission, all other
Commissions function in an advisory role to the City Council. The following table
provides a summary of the Commissions’ responsibilities, their duties as codified in
the code, and their staff liaisons.
Commission Primary
Responsibilities
Staff
Liaison
Applicable
CMC
Section
Arts and Culture
Commission
Advises Council and
encourages the realization,
preservation, and
advancement of fine arts for
the benefit of the citizens of
Cupertino.
Parks and
Recreation
Department
CMC 2.80
Bicycle Pedestrian
Commission
Advises Council on
transportation matters within
Cupertino including bicycle
and pedestrian traffic,
parking, education, and
recreation.
Public Works
Department
CMC 2.92.080
Housing
Commission
Advises Council on housing
policies and strategies,
affordable housing projects,
and sources of funding for
affordable housing.
Community
and
Development
Department
CMC 2.86.100
Library
Commission
Advises Council regarding
library service in the
community and serves as
liaison between the City and
the Santa Clara County
Library JPA.
Parks and
Recreation
Department
CMC 2.68.070
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Parks & Recreation
Commission
Advises Council on parks and
recreation related activities,
including park site acquisition
and development, community
activities, and recreation
policies.
Parks and
Recreation
Department
CMC 2.68.070
Planning
Commission
Advises Council on land use
matters such as specific and
general plans, zonings, and
subdivisions. Reviews other
matters as specified by City
ordinances or Title VII of the
Government Code of
California.
Community
and
Development
Department
CMC 2.32.070
Public Safety
Commission
Advises Council on areas
relating to public safety,
traffic, police, fire and other
areas where public safety may
be of concern.
City
Manager’s
Office –
Emergency
Service
Division
CMC 2.60.070
Sustainability
Commission
Advises Council on major
policy areas related to the
environmental goals in
Cupertino’s Climate Action
Plan and General Plan’s
Environmental
Resources/Sustainability
Element.
City
Manager’s
Office –
Sustainability
Division
CMC 2.94.080
Teen Commission Advises Council and staff on
issues and projects important
to youth in the Cupertino
community.
Parks and
Recreation
Department
CMC 2.95.080
Technology,
Information, &
Communications
Commission (TICC)
Advises Council on all matters
relating to
telecommunications in
Cupertino and provides
support for community access
television.
Information
and
Technology
Department
CMC 2.74.060
Committees
In addition to Commissions, the City has seven standing Committees. These Committees
are subject to the Brown Act. Generally, one or two Councilmembers are assigned as
members, and the Committees may include members from the public or staff. With the
exception of the Administrative Hearing Committee (which conducts administrative
hearings), the purpose of the Committees is to review specific topics affecting the City
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and to make recommendations to the City Council. Most of the Committees’
responsibilities and duties are described in Title 2 of the Municipal Code, but not all of
the Committee duties are codified. The following table summarizes the Committees’
responsibilities and their priority areas along with staff liaison and their duties as
described in the Municipal Code.
Committee Primary
Responsibilities
Staff
Liaison
Applicable
CMC
Section
Administrative
Hearing
Committee
Reviews applicable projects
as outlined by municipal
code.
Community
Development
Department
Varies
Audit Committee Reviews external and
internal audit reports,
monthly treasurer’s report,
and city investment policies.
Recommends appointment
of external and internal
auditors and recommends a
budget format.
Administrative
Services
Department
CMC 2.88
Design Review
Committee
A subcommittee of the
Planning Commission that
reviews aspects of site and
architectural design.
Community
Development
Department
CMC 2.90.090
Disaster Council Supports the City’s
emergency management
and preparedness
responsibilities.
City Manager’s
Office –
Emergency
Service
CMC 2.40.025
Economic
Development
Committee
Enhances and promotes a
strong local economy to
provide municipal services
that businesses and
residents desire and need to
maintain the community’s
quality of life.
City Manager’s
Office – Economic
Development
Division
CMC 2.96.010
Environmental
Review
Committee
Evaluates the
environmental analysis of a
proposed project to
determine whether the
project may or may not have
a significant effect on the
environment
Community
Development
Department
CMC 2.84.080
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Housing Element
Community
Engagement Plan
(CEP) Committee
Advise on the Housing
Element outreach process
with Housing and Planning
Commission Chairs;
Provide input on
Community Engagement
required to prepare the
Housing Element
Community
Development
Department
N/A
Legislative
Review
Committee
Makes recommendations on
legislative advocacy issues
and authorizes position
letters for legislation that
aligns with the Cityʹs
Council‐approved
Legislative Platform.
City Manager’s
Office
N/A
Since some of the Committees share similar duties and responsibilities with existing
Commissions, staff recommends Council retain the Administrative Hearing Committee,
the Audit Committee, and the Disaster Council.
Current responsibilities of the Design Review Committee and Environmental Review
Committee would be assigned to the Planning Commission or to Council as
appropriate. Current roles and responsibilities of the Economic Development
Committee and Legislative Review Committee would be addressed by the Council as
necessary. Since the Housing Element Community Engagement Plan Committee was
established on a temporary basis, it is recommended that its duties/concerns are
delegated to the Community Development staff.
Council Subcommittees
From time to time, City Council appoints two councilmembers to form a topic-specific
subcommittee to address a particular concern. These subcommittees are not Brown Act
bodies because they meet for a limited period of time and do not have ongoing
jurisdiction over any subject matter. For instance, during the Housing Element site
inventory selection process, Council appointed former Mayor Paul and former
Councilmember Willey to outreach to property owners along Bubb Road in deciding if
such properties should be included on the site inventory. The Bubb Road subcommittee
met several times between September and December 2022 and subsequently concluded
its task. Other than the Bubb Road subcommittee, several other subcommittees have met
at various times and have concluded their original tasks. The following subcommittee
are no longer active and would be discontinued.
Audit Expansion subcommittee
Bidding and Contract Process subcommittee
Bubb Road subcommittee
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City Hall Renovation / Expansion Project subcommittee
Community Funding Grant Program subcommittee
Farmer’s Market subcommittee
Fiscal Strategic Plan Committee
Residential Design Standards subcommittee
In addition, the following subcommittees were approved by City Council with pending
councilmember appointments.
Closed Session Minutes subcommittee
Legislative Aide selection subcommittee
Summer Intern application review subcommittee
Homelessness subcommittee
Festival fee waiver subcommittee
Staff recommends City Council delegate the specific concerns to the City Manager and
have staff recommendations brought back for Council’s decision as appropriate. In
particular, concerns assigned to the Legislative Aide selection subcommittee and
Summer Intern application review subcommittee can be researched by the
Administrative Services staff; the Homelessness subcommittee can be further evaluated
by the Community Development staff. The Festival fee waiver subcommittee discussion
can be delegated to the Parks and Recreation staff. When the analysis is complete, staff
will present recommendations for Council to consider.
Commissions and Committees in Other Cities in Santa Clara County
As included in the February 15, 2022 staff report (Attachment A), a comparison matrix
detailing the number of commissions and committees for the other 13 cities in Santa
Clara County shows that Cupertino has one of the highest number of commissions and
committees, irrespective of population. While cities may use varying terminology,
bodies that included members of the public to advise Council were included as
commissions for the purposes of this analysis. Long‐standing, active bodies that are not
categorized as commissions and include members of Council were included as
committees in this report.
Commissions and Committees in Other Cities
City
# of commissions and
committees
Population
Mountain View 19 82,272
Cupertino 17 66,762
Milpitas 17 84,196
Los Altos Hills 16 8,300
Los Altos 15 31,190
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Palo Alto 14 67,019
Santa Clara 14 128,717
Gilroy 11 58,756
Campbell 11 42,288
Sunnyvale 11 156,503
Los Gatos 9 31,439
Saratoga 9 31,030
Morgan Hill 4 45,742
Monte Sereno 3 3,492
Based on the table above, cities in Santa Clara County on average support 12
commissions and committees, not including any active council subcommittees.
Cupertino has an above average number of commissions and committees, especially
when considering its population size in comparison to neighboring cities. The
following chart shows average estimated staff liaison hours spent to support each
Commission and Committee
Dedicated Staff Resources
In addition to staff liaison hours, the City Clerk’s Office spends significant time (over
1000 hours) per year on administrative duties for commissions such as orientation,
training, and assisting with agendas. The City Attorney’s Office also supports certain
commission and committee items and staffs the Planning Commission. These
estimates do not include staff support for numerous other boards and ad hoc
committees that the City maintains. Consolidating the commissions and committees
could result in an estimated reduction of 520 staff hours. Total staff time spent on
committees would be reduced from 870 to 350 hours.
Recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council consolidate the Commissions and
Committees into the following, in addition to discontinuing all previously
. Commission Hours Spent
Annually
Bicycle Pedestrian 240
Fine Arts 200
Housing 220
Library 350
Parks and Recreation 750
Planning 1100
Public Safety 200
Sustainability 220
Teen 300
TICC 120
TOTAL 3,740
Committees Hours Spent Annually
Administrative
Hearing Committee
30
Audit Committee 230
Disaster Council 30
Economic
Development 60
Environmental
Review 80
Design Review 40
Legislative Review 400
TOTAL 870
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formed subcommittees:
Arts and Culture Commission
Bicycle Pedestrian Commission
Housing Commission
Library Commission
Parks & Recreation Commission
Planning Commission (including functions that were previously designated
for Design Review Committee and Environmental Review Committee)
Public Safety Commission
Sustainability Commission
Teen Commission
TICC (Technology, Information, & Communication Commission)
Administrative Hearing Committee
Audit Committee
Disaster Council
Sustainability Impact
No sustainability impact.
Fiscal Impact
Some minimal savings will be achieved in addition to the staff hour savings
noted above.
Prepared by: Pamela Wu, City Manager
Reviewed by: Chris Jensen, City Attorney
Matt Morley, Assistant City Manager
Approved for Submission by: Pamela Wu, City Manager
Attachments:
Supplemental Staff Report
A – Staff Report from February 15, 2022 City Council Meeting
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SUPPLEMENTAL
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting: January 25, 2023
Subject
Study Session to consider modifying Municipal Code Title 2 regarding compositions
and responsibilities of existing Commissions and Committees
Recommended Action
Direct staff to proceed with ordinance amendment to consolidate existing Commissions
and Committees
Discussion
This report adds supplemental information to the original report provided for this item
at the January 17 Council meeting.
Staff recommends retaining the Sister Cities Committee appointments. These appointed
Council members provide representation at various Sister City meetings.
The City currently has four established Sister City relationships: Copertino, Italy;
Toyokawa, Japan; Hsinchu, Taiwan; and Bhubaneswar, India. Each of these four cities
has its own nonprofit organization that coordinates and implements all activities related
to the Sister City Program and its exchange program. They meet regularly throughout
the year to prepare for their annual Sister City student exchange or adult delegation trips.
Meetings of the nonprofit organizations have been held online from 2020-2022 with
limited travel activity.
Staff and Council participation in Sister City activities follow the Council Policy adopted
on November 20, 2018. Information on this policy can be found at the following link:
https://cupertino.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3755414&GUID=F514306F-
325B-4B8B-9CFC-7BE9C2E612E7&Options=&Search=
Prepared by: Matt Morley, Assistant City Manager
Reviewed by: Chris Jensen, City Attorney
Approved for Submission by: Pamela Wu, City Manager
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CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting: February 15, 2022
Subject
Commissions and Committees Workshop
Recommended Action
Conduct Commissions and Committees Workshop and provide direction to staff
Background
As part of the FY 2019‐2020 City Work Program, the City Council requested that staff
explore the possibility of creating additional commissions or committees to address
Cupertino’s needs. The City Council specified the City’s need to address traffic and
transportation as well as economic development. As part of the FY 2021‐2022 City Work
Program, the City Council requested that staff also consider the City’s need to further
support the senior community.
In addition, as part of the FY 20‐21 the City Council requested a review of the scope of
the Environmental Review Committee. The FY 21‐22 City Work Program also includes
the development of ordinances codifying the Fiscal Strategy and Economic
Development Committees as well as a name change for the Fine Arts Commission.
This item was brought to the City Council in December 2021 where the City Council directed
staff to bring this item back for a study session in February.
Commissions and Committees in Cupertino
The City Council has created a total of ten commissions plus the Design Review
Committee, which is a standing subcommittee of the Planning Commission. The primary
role of commissions is to advise the City Council in the formation of policy by weighing
public input and examining issues to render a recommendation to the City Council. The
following table summarizes the City’s commissions and Design Review Committee with
brief descriptions of their community priority areas.
ATTACHMENT A
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Commission Summary Description
Bicycle Pedestrian
Commission
Advises Council on transportation matters within Cupertino
including bicycle and pedestrian traffic, parking, education,
and recreation.
Fine Arts
Commission
Advises Council and encourages the realization, preservation,
and advancement of fine arts for the benefit of the citizens of
Cupertino.
Housing
Commission
Advises Council on housing policies and strategies, affordable
housing projects, and sources of funding for affordable
housing.
Library Commission
Advises Council regarding library service in the community
and serves as liaison between the City and the Santa Clara
County Library JPA.
Parks & Recreation
Commission
Advises Council on parks and recreation related activities,
including park site acquisition and development, community
activities, and recreation policies.
Planning
Commission
Advises Council on land use matters such as specific and
general plans, zonings, and subdivisions. Reviews other
matters as specified by City ordinances or Title VII of the
Government Code of California.
‐ Design Review
Committee
A subcommittee of the Planning Commission that reviews
aspects of site and architectural design.
Public Safety
Commission
Advises Council on areas relating to public safety, traffic,
police, fire and other areas where public safety may be of
concern.
Sustainability
Commission
Advises Council on major policy areas related to the
environmental goals in Cupertino’s Climate Action Plan and
General Plan’s Environmental Resources/Sustainability
Element.
Teen Commission Advises Council and staff on issues and projects important to
youth in the Cupertino community.
ATTACHMENT A
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Technology,
Information, &
Communications
Commission (TICC)
Advises Council on all matters relating to telecommunications
in Cupertino and provides support for community access
television.
Currently, the City has six standing committees. These committees are subject to the
Brown Act and are subcommittees of the City Council where one or two councilmembers
are assigned as members, along with members from the public or staff. The purpose of
committees is generally to review specific topics affecting the City and to take action as
delegated by the City Council. However, the Municipal Code prohibits the City Council
from delegating the City Council’s oversight of City operations through the City
Manager to any individual councilmember or committee. The following table
summarizes the City’s committees with brief descriptions of their priority areas.
Committee Summary Description
Audit Committee
Reviews external and internal audit reports, monthly treasurer’s
report, and city investment policies. Recommends appointment of
external and internal auditors and recommends a budget format.
Disaster Council Supports the City’s emergency management and preparedness
responsibilities.
Economic
Development
Committee
Enhances and promotes a strong local economy to provide
municipal services that businesses and residents desire and need to
maintain the communityʹs quality of life.
Environmental Review
Committee
Evaluates the initial study of a proposed project to determine
whether the project may or may not have a significant effect on the
environment.
Fiscal Strategic Plan
Committee
Confers, strategizes, and plans for current as well as future activities
that have a fiscal impact on the City.
Legislative Review
Committee
Makes recommendations on legislative advocacy issues and
authorizes position letters for legislation that aligns with the Cityʹs
Council‐approved Legislative Platform.
ATTACHMENT A
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The scopes of these commissions and committees can be viewed in Attachment C, except
for the Economic Development and Fiscal Strategic committees as the ordinance
codifying those committees will be developed following this City Council discussion.
Discussion
In addition to reviewing Cupertino’s current commissions and committees, the
commissions and committees in 13 other cities in Santa Clara County were also
reviewed (Attachments A and B). While cities may use varying terminology, bodies that
included members of the public to advise Council were included as commissions for the
purposes of this analysis. Long‐standing, active bodies that are not categorized as
commissions and include members of Council were included as committees in this
report.
The following table shows that only Mountain View has more commissions and
committees than Cupertino. The table also includes each cities’ full‐time employee
count, excluding police and fire departments, and its overall population for comparison.
Commissions and Committees in Other Cities
City
# of commissions and
committees
Population
FTE*
Mountain View 19 82,272 253
Cupertino 17 66,762 198
Milpitas 17 84,196 230
Los Altos Hills 16 8,300 26
Los Altos 15 31,190 95
Palo Alto 14 67,019 711
Santa Clara 14 128,717 530
Gilroy 11 58,756 138
Campbell 11 42,288 104
Sunnyvale 11 156,503 735
Los Gatos 9 31,439 90
Saratoga 9 31,030 57
Morgan Hill 4 45,742 123
Monte Sereno 3 3,492 7
* Excluding Fire and Police Departments
On average, cities have 12 commissions and committees. Cupertino has a large number
of commissions and committees, especially when considering its population size in
comparison to neighboring cities. For a breakdown of the topics of each commission and
committee, see Attachments A and B respectively.
ATTACHMENT A
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Commissions in Other Cities
Of the 13 other cities reviewed, the most common commissions were related to
planning, parks and recreation, transportation, youth, libraries, and the arts. Ten of the
cities surveyed, including Cupertino, have a commission for each of these topics. Aside
from Cupertino, only two other cities have a housing commission and public safety
related commission. Cupertino and Milpitas are currently the only cities with a
technology related commission.
The below table shows that there are only two cities, Los Altos Hills and Milpitas, with
more commissions than Cupertino, while Gilroy and Los Altos have the same number as
Cupertino.
Commissions in Other Cities
City # of commissions Population FTE*
Los Altos Hills 15 8,300 26
Milpitas 12 84,196 230
Cupertino 11 66,762 198
Gilroy 11 58,756 138
Los Altos 11 31,190 95
Mountain View 10 82,272 253
Palo Alto 9 67,019 711
Santa Clara 9 128,717 530
Sunnyvale 9 156,503 735
Los Gatos 8 31,439 90
Saratoga 7 31,030 57
Campbell 6 42,288 104
Monte Sereno 3 3,492 7
Morgan Hill 3 45,742 123
* Excluding Fire and Police Departments
The average number of commissions among the cities surveyed was nine. Palo Alto,
Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara all have nine commissions despite having the largest
populations and full‐time employee counts. Los Altos Hills has an unusually large
number of commissions and is only able to maintain them by having the commissioners
manage their own meetings, agendas, and minutes without staff liaisons. As a result, not
all commissions have up‐to‐date records and minutes. In addition, Los Altos Hills and
Los Altos share the Senior and Library Commissions but they are still reflected in both
cities’ totals.
Committees in Other Cities
The following table shows that only Mountain View has more committees than
Cupertino. In general, committees tend to be specific and unique to the corresponding
city, such as for specific community events, local school districts, and railroads. Some of
ATTACHMENT A
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the most common committees include finance and audit committees, disaster councils,
and economic development committees. Cupertino currently has all of the most
common committees compared to the other cities reviewed in this report.
Committees in Other Cities
City # of Committees Population FTE*
Mountain View 9 82,272 253
Cupertino 6 66,762 198
Milpitas 5 84,196 230
Palo Alto 5 67,019 711
Santa Clara 5 128,717 530
Campbell 5 42,288 104
Los Altos 4 31,190 95
Sunnyvale 2 156,503 735
Saratoga 2 31,030 57
Los Gatos 1 31,439 90
Los Altos Hills 1 8,300 26
Morgan Hill 1 45,742 123
Gilroy 0 58,756 138
Monte Sereno 0 3,492 7
* Excluding Fire and Police Departments
Commission Membership Requirements
Currently, commissioners are generally required to be residents of Cupertino. There are
some exceptions when the commissioner is a business representative or provides a
certain area of expertise. However, for the Planning Commission and TICC, the resident
requirement is stated as a requirement that members be qualified electors. A qualified
elector is someone who is eligible to vote in Cupertino, meaning they are at least 18
years of age, live in Cupertino, and are a US citizen. The remaining commissions only
refer to a residency requirement. Staff needs policy direction from the City Council on
whether the qualified elector requirement should be changed to a residency requirement
for consistency. Once direction is received, a municipal code amendment will be
brought for the City Council’s consideration if a change is required.
Traffic and Transportation
In 2017 and 2019 respectively, Los Altos and Los Gatos expanded their bicycle and
pedestrian related commissions to Complete Streets Commissions to include other traffic
and transportation related issues. The purpose of the complete streets commissions is to
create multi‐modal transportation solutions for all commuters. On June 2, 2020, it was
proposed to the City Council that Cupertino’s Bicycle Pedestrian Commission be
expanded to a Complete Streets Commission. However, the proposal failed, and the
Bicycle Pedestrian Commission remained unchanged. No other city surveyed has both a
ATTACHMENT A
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bicycle pedestrian related commission and a transportation commission. However,
Saratoga does have both a traffic safety and a trails related commission. In its current
capacity, the Cupertino Bicycle Pedestrian Commission regularly addresses topics that
relate to Complete Streets and multiple modes, as the various modes often affect one
another and must be considered holistically. Staff needs further direction from the
City Council on whether they would like to pursue a Transportation Commission, a
Complete Streets Commission, or continue resolving traffic and transportation issues
as part of the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission.
Housing Commission
In November 2020, Vice Mayor Chao and former Mayor Scharf expressed a desire to
expand the scope of the Housing Commission to include social services. This is not
recommended because the City does not have a social services component aside from
providing Housing and Human Services Grant funding to social services providers. The
County of Santa Clara Social Services Agency and the Office of Supportive Housing
provides social services to residents of Cupertino. Regional social services providers,
such as West Valley Community Services also provide these services to Cupertino.
Currently, the Housing Commission is already responsible for the review and
recommendation of all Housing and Human Services Grant funding. This is an essential
function of the Commission that enables the City to ensure that social services are being
provided to Cupertino residents. The City’s Housing and Human Services Grants
program provides approximately $550,000 annually in grant funding directly to eligible
social service agencies. Of that $550,000, the City provided West Valley Community
Services with approximately $330,000 in Housing and Human Services Grant funding in
FY 2021‐2022. Of the cities surveyed, Sunnyvale is the only city with a Housing and
Human Services Commission. Their commission is responsible for reviewing funding to
human services agencies similar to what Cupertino’s Housing Commission already does.
Expanding the scope of the Commission beyond its existing functions, which include
advising on the Housing and Human Services Grant funding, would require significant
resources and staff time, which is why it is recommended that the Commission’s scope is
not expanded at this time. Staff needs further direction from the City Council on what
they would like to consider for the Housing Commission.
Senior Commission/Senior Advisory Council
Of the 13 cities surveyed, six cities have a senior related commission, with Los Altos
Hills and Los Altos sharing their Senior Commission. In Los Gatos, the Community
Health and Senior Services Commission is more focused on community and human
services in general and is not specifically addressing the senior community. The City of
Cupertino had a Senior Commission previously; however, in 2009, the commission and
the City Council agreed to dissolve it as there were significant overlapping functions
with the Senior Advisory Council (SAC). The SAC has four Board Members and 15
committee members, which meet every other month. Currently, the SAC discusses
programs at the Senior Center and receives updates on community group activities.
ATTACHMENT A
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They address any issues or topics involving senior citizens such as Age Friendly Cities.
Staff estimates that the Advisory Council requires about 3.5 hours of staff time a month.
Given that the Advisory Council requires minimal staff time with costs incorporated
into the Senior Center program, staff has evaluated that the Senior Advisory Council is
operating efficiently and does not require a new Senior Commission to be formed.
At the November 20, 2018 City Council meeting, the City Council revisited the idea of
reinstating a senior commission and ultimately decided to continue the City’s
partnership with the SAC with an addition to request the SAC to provide quarterly
updates to the Parks and Recreation Commission.
Fine Arts Commission
The City currently has a Fine Arts Commission made up of five residents appointed by
the City Council. The purpose of the commission is to foster, encourage and assist in
the realization, preservation and advancement of fine arts for the benefit of the citizens
of Cupertino. The Commission was first codified in 1987 and was originally named the
“Fine Arts Commission”. The FY 2021‐22 City Work Program includes an item to
change the name of the Fine Arts Commission, which was recommended by the
commissioners. The Commissioners goal is to change the name of the commission in
order to broaden the reach of potential interests, explore other arts outside of “Fine
Arts,” and better align with commission goals. Staff is working on this name change for
completion this fiscal year and will be presenting the City Council with the updated
ordinance for consideration.
Economic Development Committee
The City currently has an Economic Development Committee (EDC) made up of four
City staff members, two City Council members, one Planning Commissioner, and four
representatives from the business community, including the Cupertino Chamber of
Commerce. The primary purpose of this committee is to discuss news about local
businesses and to provide staff initial feedback on business‐related City initiatives or
projects.
The City Council has requested that the EDC be codified as an official committee as part
of the FY 2021‐22 City Work Program. Out of the 13 other cities surveyed in this report,
only Santa Clara and Campbell currently have active economic development focused
committees that are subcommittees of Council. Gilroy has an ad hoc Economic
Development Committee, which has not been active for many years.
Currently, two cities in Santa Clara County have economic development related
commissions, which are made up of members of the public. The City of Milpitas has an
Economic Development and Trade Commission and the City of Mountain View has a
Downtown Committee, which works to encourage economic development in
Downtown Mountain View. The City is conducting research on economic development
ATTACHMENT A
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committees in other cities to evaluate what would work best for Cupertino. Staff
anticipates presenting this research for the City Council’s consideration in April 2022.
Fiscal Strategic Plan Committee
Currently Cupertino has a Fiscal Strategic Plan Committee that confers, strategizes, and
plans for current as well as future activities that have a fiscal impact on the City. This
committee meets annually and is made up of two councilmembers and staff. This
committee generally reviews the upcoming Fee Schedule and discusses the financial
strategy for the City. The City Council has requested that the Fiscal Strategic Plan
Committee be codified as part of the FY 2021‐22 City Work Program.
Given the additional workload on the City’s Audit Committee, namely with the
establishment of the internal audit function, staff have researched and recommend the
Fiscal Strategic Plan Committee be converted to a Finance Committee that is
recommended to be codified to meet monthly and be charged with the following
powers, duties, and responsibilities:
A. Review Monthly Report of Receipts, Disbursements and Fund Balances
B. Review Quarterly Treasurer’s Investment Report
C. Review Budget Format
D. To review City investment policies and internal controls of such policies
E. Review Annual Fee Schedule Update
F. Review City’s Annual Fiscal Forecast Update
Pursuant to the establishment of the Finance Committee, the Audit Committee’s
powers, duties, and responsibilities are recommended to be amended to transfer “B,”
“C,” and “D” above. Staff plans to prepare the amendments for Audit Committees
consideration in the coming months and will then bring the amendments for the City
Council’s consideration this fiscal year.
Environmental Review Committee
Cupertino’s Environmental Review Committee (ERC) was codified in August 1990. The
ERC’s primary function is to review public projects in accordance with the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to determine whether a project may or may not have
a significant effect on the environment by evaluating the preliminary analysis, also known
as the Initial Study. As part of the FY 2020‐21 City Work Program, the City Council
requested that a review of the scope of the ERC and research on best practices in other
cities. Of the other 14 cities surveyed, none had a commission or committee related to
Environmental Review. The majority of cities have staff, sometimes along with an
environmental consultant, determine if an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is needed
based on the environmental impact of a proposed project.
This review of the scope of the ERC was presented to the ERC on April 15, 2021. During
that discussion there was a concern that there may be perceived conflict of interest issues
with a Planning Commissioner and a City councilmember serving on the ERC prior to
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Commission Hours Spent
Annually
Bicycle Pedestrian 240
Fine Arts 200
Housing 220
Library 350
Parks and Recreation 750
Planning 1100
‐Design Review 40
Public Safety 200
Sustainability 220
Teen 300
TICC 120
TOTAL 3,740
Committees Hours Spent Annually
Audit 230
Disaster Council 30
Economic
Development 60
Environmental
Review 80
Fiscal Strategic
Planning 15
Legislative Review 400
TOTAL 812
projects coming to the Planning Commission or the City Council for review. While the
makeup of the ERC does not violate procedural process or fair hearing rights, the Planning
Commissioner and Councilmember appointed to the ERC would need to be careful not to
say or do anything during the ERC meetings (or during any other times) that would give
the impression that they have made up their mind on how they will ultimately vote on
the project application.
The ERC ultimately made the following three suggestions:
1. Roll the environmental review aspect of the ERC’s duties into the Planning
Commission, which would result in either dissolving the ERC or changing the
scope.
2. Expand the ERC’s scope to act in an advocacy capacity and provide education and
engagement opportunities to the community.
3. Considering changing the composition of the ERC to address the potential for
perceived conflicts issues.
Staff needs further direction from the City Council on which approach they would like to
consider for the ERC.
Considerations for Adding Commissions
In Cupertino, each commission is assigned a staff liaison whose role is to provide
administrative support and information that will assist commissioners throughout the
process of advising the City Council. In addition to staff liaisons, department directors
and administrative staff all work in certain capacities to facilitate and engage with
commissioners. The following table shows an estimate of the number of hours staff
spends on commissions annually, not including policy development and
implementation as that would have occurred whether or not there was a commission to
advise the City Council. These hours include staff time spent on administrative and staff
liaison duties, such as attending meetings, writing minutes, and creating agendas.
ATTACHMENT A
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In addition to these hours, the City Clerk’s Office also spends over 100 hours per year on
administrative duties for commissions such as orientation, training, and assisting with
agendas. Hours from the City Attorney’s Office are also required for certain commission
and committee items, particularly Planning Commission and ERC. This does not include
staff support for numerous other boards and ad‐hoc committees that the City maintains.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council review this report and provide direction as
needed.
Sustainability Impact
No sustainability impact.
Fiscal Impact
If the City Council chooses to add commissions or committees, additional staffing
resources may be required and will be analyzed at that time. It is estimated that an
additional commission would require 100‐1100 hours and an additional committee
would require around 15‐400 hours of staff time annually depending on the demands of
the commission or committee.
Prepared by: Astrid Robles, Management Analyst
Reviewed by: Chris Jensen, City Attorney
Dianne Thompson, Assistant City Manager
Katy Nomura, Deputy City Manager
Approved for Submission by: Jim Throop, City Manager
Attachments:
A – Matrix of Commissions in Other Cities
B – Matrix of Committees in Other Cities
C – Scopes of Commissions and Committees
ATTACHMENT A
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