CC 06-06-2023 Item No. 4. Chamber Agreement_Supplemental Report & Attachment C1
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
SUPPLEMENTAL 1
Meeting: , 2023
Agenda Item #4
Subject
Consider executing an Agreement between the City of Cupertino (City) and the Cupertino
Chamber of Commerce (Chamber)
Recommended Action
Authorize the City Manager to execute an Agreement between the City of Cupertino and the
Cupertino Chamber of Commerce for up to five years, at an annual amount not-to-exceed $52,000
Background:
Staff’s responses to questions received from councilmember are shown in italics.
Q1: How come such item, which is a part of the FY2022-23 Budget, was not mentioned
at all in any of the previous city council meeting on FY2022-23 budget? (Chao)
This item is part of the proposed annual budget for FY 23-24. It was not the intent to discuss
each program or item during the budget hearing process as Council level approval of individual
contracts above the City Manager contract authority allow for a more in depth discussion.
Q2: What's the justification to put this on last minute, the day when the final budget is
to be approved, and especially when the city is cutting other services to a bone? (Chao)
Award of contracts are separate actions from approval of the annual budget. Contracts are
presented to the Council at all times of the year. This gives the Council the opportunity to
review the contract details and make a decision based on greater information.
Staff believes the Chamber of Commerce is well-placed to support existing Cupertino business,
and contracting with the Chamber will allow the Economic Development Division to focus on
activities that will generate new business in the City and revenues that will support the
provision of public services in a time of fiscal need. However, Council has full discretion
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Q3: What other cities are paying Chamber of Commerce, by the hour, to perform the
services listed in the agreement? (Chao)
Staff has not investigated the compensation structure of other cities’ agreements with their
Chambers of Commerce at the level of detail necessary to answer this question.
Q4: What outreach has been done for this brand-new budget item? Which
Councilmembers have provided input or have been consulted on? Which community
members or business members have been consulted on? (Chao)
The City has a long-standing relationship with the Chamber of Commerce. Certain
Councilmembers have expressed concern about the lack of a written agreement governing that
relationship. The proposed is responsive to those concerns and delineates the services that the
Chamber would provide under the agreement. Approval of this item would authorize the City
Manager to enter into a contract with the Chamber of Commerce to perform those services. The
budget is a separate item that will be subject to a separate vote of Council. The proposed budget
includes funding for the agreement and will be voted on separately by Council, in a separate
public process. This is the standard process for approving appropriations and contracts for
routine operational matters under the authority of the City Manager but having not-to-exceed
amounts in excess of the City Manager’s contracting authority.
Q5: Most consultant contracts come with the resumes of personnels who will be
providing the services and the rate to demonstrate they have the expertise to perform
the task. Please provide the personnel and their resumes. (Chao)
Chamber of Commerce personnel resumes and email can be found in Attachment C.
Q6: Please provide the rationale why such services as outlined in the agreement should
not be funded by the Chamber by its paying membership and its fundraising activities,
already heavily subsidized by the city through fee waivers. (Chao)
The City has not offered room rental waivers to the Chamber of Commerce. Prior to 2021, the
Chamber did not pay for the facility rentals because these meetings were being reserved by staff
and considered to be City meetings. Since that time, the Chamber has paid for room rentals at the
nonprofit rate. As noted above, staff believes the Chamber is well-placed to support existing
Cupertino businesses, thereby allowing the Economic Development Manager to focus more on the
development of new business and new revenues for the City.
Q7: An earlier staff report has listed all of the subsidies the city has been providing the
Chamber and is continuing to provide the Chamber of Commerce, including festival
fee waivers, room rentals and other services. Please include such information so the
Council has full scope of the subsidies when making decisions. (Chao)
The June 21, 2022 staff report documenting the City’s historical support for the Chamber is
available at:
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https://cupertino.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6035260&GUID=9F8B7563-C37F-
433E-AA84-0BEE4FB16CBB&Options=&Search=
Q8: The Federal government already provided funding for the Small Business Center,
which utilizes volunteers to help small businesses. It seems the city will be funding a
service normally provided by volunteers. Please clarify the difference. (Chao)
The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) serves the entire County. Its primary mission
is to help businesses develop business plans that provide access to capital. The Chamber is a local
organization with an ability to provide customized attention to our local businesses and offer a
much broader range of services, including access to capital, and to assist businesses with issues
relevant in Cupertino.
Q9: The Federal government already provided funding for the Small Business Center,
which utilizes volunteers to help small businesses. It seems the city will be funding a
service normally provided by volunteers. Please clarify the difference. (Chao)
The City does not generally track hours that staff devotes to providing services to Cupertino
businesses. The Economic Development Manager has attended 2-3 Legislative Action
Committee (LAC) meetings in the last year. In addition, other City staff have attended 2-3 LAC
meetings.
Q10: If the Chamber will charge the city, by the hour, for the services they are
providing their current or prospective members, the City should charge the Chamber
for every hour the City currently provide services to the Chamber members and
prospective members, just to be fair. Please provide an estimate for an equal
partnership where both parties are charging the other party for every hour of services.
(Chao)
The City has historically provided economic development services to Cupertino business free of
charge. Council could direct staff to explore developing a fee-for-services model in which the City
changes businesses for services. Staff does not recommend this approach because successful
economic development programs lead to higher tax revenues that are beneficial to the City and
its residents as well as businesses who take advantage of the programs.
Q11: Please include the page from FY2022-3 Budget, which has a breakdown of the cost
for each program. (Thomas showed a similar page for Teen program and Senior
program from the PDF of the budget book. But the PDF of the amended budget is not
in the agenda packet?) (Chao)
The Economic Development Division’s budget narrative is outlined on pages 34-35 of the
“Administration” section of the budget book at:
https://www.cupertino.org/home/showpublisheddocument/33169/638189149608200000.
Q12: What's the funding for Economic Development Department in the past 10 years?
Or at least for the past 5 years so we put things in perspective as we make decisions.
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(Chao)
Attached is a screenshot of the report from OpenGov covering actuals from FY08-09 to the
present. This information can also be found at:
https://cupertino.opengov.com/transparency/#/28422/accountType=expenses&embed=n&breakdo
wn=8775b50c-fca7-4517-9869-
839bfac61c9a¤tYearAmount=cumulative¤tYearPeriod=years&graph=bar&legendS
ort=desc&proration=true&saved_view=83805&selection=53FB871C3A8573A64C25040A3CAD0
171&projections=null&projectionType=null&highlighting=null&highlightingVariance=null&yea
r=2023&selectedDataSetIndex=null&fiscal_start=earliest&fiscal_end=latest..
Q13: The staff report stated "Events & Meetings – The Chamber will provide
opportunities for City representatives to attend networking events and meetings, host
professional women’s luncheons, and organize broker breakfasts." But this is already a
benefit the City gets as a paying member of the Chamber. Are we getting anything
different with this agreement? (Chao)
The professional women’s luncheons have historically been hosted by City staff. The City has not
hosted a broker breakfast. The Chamber will be assisting the City in organizing and hosting
these events.
Q14: The staff report states "The Chamber will develop and maintain a
Cupertino Dashboard, market and promote City-organized business events, ..." Please
provide the rationale that the City should outsource this to Chamber, who does not
have expertise in this area? (Chao)
The Cupertino Dashboard will serve as an important tool for economic development and will
include data on jobs, wages, firms, households, job postings, small businesses, restaurant and
retail, economic forecasts and more. The Chamber will not only design the dashboard, but also
acquire this data from 3rd party agencies and update it regularly.
Q15: The staff report states "Marketing and Promotion – The Chamber will develop and
maintain a Cupertino Dashboard, market and promote City-organized business events,
support Small Business Saturday and other marketing campaigns, and conduct
outreach and education regarding policy changes to all businesses." Please help me
understand why the City has to pay Chamber to perform the task our own Economic
Development Department is already doing and is better equipped at doing? (Chao)
As mentioned in the staff report, in light of the evolving economic dynamic and increased need for
economic development, staff will be refocusing on the core functions of economic development and
relying on the Chamber of Commerce to service local business audiences. Examples of labor
division between City staff and the Chamber are as follows: City staff will primarily focus on
business attraction and retention strategies, market trends analysis, policy development and
implementation, and development and permit facilitation. The Chamber will complement these
efforts in performing needed outreach to property owners and tenants to fill vacant spaces and
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engaging with investors and developers to encourage revenue-generating projects. The City will
still be conducting outreach and supporting all Cupertino businesses; however with the support of
the Chamber, the City is hoping to expand on these services. The basis for the assumption that
Chamber is not well-equipped to perform the scope of services set forth in the agreement is not
clear.
Q16: The staff report states "Technical Assistance – The Chamber will provide
information to existing and prospective businesses on how to open, operate, and grow
their business." Such information is already provided by the Federally funded Small
Business Development Center. Please provide information on the "expertise" of the
Chamber in this area and track record of providing such services. Please provide the
rationale for the Cupertino to pay the Chamber to perform such service, available to
businesses from other agencies for free. (Chao)
Small Business Development Center provides services countywide and may not be as able to
support individual businesses in Cupertino as the local serving organization such as the Chamber
of Commerce. See the answer to Question 8 above for more information.
Q17: The staff report states " In addition, the Chamber will host technical assistance
seminars, coordinate ribbon cuttings and grand openings, and support City programs
and initiatives such as the Cupertino Business Outreach Program visits and surveys ".
Such webinars and ribbon cutting and grand openings seem to be what Chamber
provides as member services. The full-time Economic Development Manager has been
providing such services to all Cupertino businesses. The outreach on programs and
surveys are the duties of the Economic Development manager. I think the now "full-
time" Economic Development Manager would be able to perform such responsibilities,
as stated, since the City has more outreach to businesses through business license
registration. Please help me understand why the City needs to pay Chamber, by the
hour, for the responsibilities already performed by the Economic Development
Manager? (Chao)
As outlined in the answer to Question 15 above, the Economic Development Manager, when
hired, will be focusing on the core functions of economic development, and relying on the Chamber
of Commerce to service local business audiences. In addition, this agreement is not limited to
Chamber member businesses, but to all businesses in Cupertino that possess a valid Cupertino
business license.
Q18: Potential conflict of interest in advocacy. The Chamber is supported by its paid
members and donations. How could we navigate this potential conflict of interest or
perception of conflict of interest? (Chao)
There is no conflict of interest that prevents the City from entering into the proposed contract with
the Chamber of Commerce, and in fact the Chamber’s interest in supporting its members aligns
closely with the City’s economic development goals. In addition, the proposed agreement ensures
that all services outlined in the scope will be available to all businesses in Cupertino, regardless of
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Chamber membership status. Staff recommends that Council approve the proposed agreement to
clarify the City’s longstanding relationship with the Chamber and establish defined services that
the Chamber will provide all City businesses. Any perception of a conflict of interest is likely
related to political consideration that it would be inappropriate for staff to consider in making its
professional recommendations to Council.
Q19: If the Chamber is paid by the City to perform services the City already provides
anyway, it might give businesses the perception that they are not eligible for such
services since they are not Chamber member. Please help me understand how this
confusion of roles would not negatively affect the services the City is already
providing. (Chao)
Any collateral and promotional materials related to this agreement will make it clear that these
services are available to all Cupertino businesses and not just Chamber members. The assumption
that the Chamber will be providing services that “the City already provides anyway” is incorrect.
Q20: Since the Chamber will be invoicing the City monthly, will the payment be based on
the number of hours shown on the invoice, or will City pay a flat amount of $4,330,
regardless of the hours invoiced? (Mohan)
The Chamber of Commerce will not be paid a flat monthly amount. The Chamber will submit
monthly invoices which will include the number of hours spent on the Agreement scope. The hours
may vary from month-to-month, but the annual amount under this agreement will not exceed
$52,000.
Attachments Provided with Original Staff Report:
A. Scope of Work
B. Pay Rate Comparison by Cupertino Chamber of Commerce
Additional Attachments Provided with Supplemental 1:
C. Chamber of Commerce Personnel Info
Signature Image a:20455 Silverado Avenue, Cupertino, CA 95014
t: 4082527054x11
From:Chamber
To:Tina Kapoor
Subject:Additional information re June 6, Item 4
Date:Monday, June 5, 2023 2:47:34 PM
Attachments:Edna Hernandez-Amezcua Resume 2023.pdf
Rick Kitson Resume.pdf
Manuel Valerio Resume.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Tina,
Per your request attached please find the resumes of current Cupertino Chamber of Commerce
staff. As a point of clarification, the billable hours for the agreement will relay only to these
three paid staff. Each year the Chamber uses volunteers and interns for a wide variety of
business, chamber and other project-related activities. Volunteer and intern time is not counted
towards the reported hours in the agreement.
Rick Kitson
Executive Director, Cupertino Chamber of Commerce
website mail
Attachment C -
Chamber of Commerce Personnel Info
Contact
edna@duodigitalinc.com
www.linkedin.com/in/edna-
hernandez-amezcua-672ba229
(LinkedIn)
duodigital.com.mx (Company)
duodigitalinc.com (Company)
Top Skills
Project Management
Graphic Design
Sales Operations
Event Management
Languages
English
Spanish
Certifications
Bachelor Degree in Graphic Design
Publications
Access
Cupertino Business Directory
Edna Hernandez Amezcua
Strategic Creative Designer at the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce
Cupertino, California
Summary
A highly skilled, creative and professional graphic designer with more
than 16 years of experience in the graphic arts including thirteen
years as Chief Executive Officer of DUO Digital (DUODISA, S.A.
de C.V.), Mexican graphic design bureau; and one and a half year
as Chief Executive Officer and Graphic Design Company Manager
of DUO Digital, Inc. in the United States. Her skills, knowledge and
enthusiasm will be utilized in the development of the organization.
Experience
Cupertino Chamber of Commerce
3 years 10 months
Strategic Creative Designer
April 2022 - Present (1 year 3 months)
20455 Silverado Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014
•Create and design the overall conception and production of graphic materials
including, but not limited to; printed and interactive collaterals, offering flyers,
logos, brochures, presentations, graphic/charts, banners, directories, e-
blast, interactive forms, surveys, and visual design for web and social media,
building and keeping the branding guidelines
•Apply professional graphic design principles and develop materials to support
business development
•Create digital and print advertisement materials or any type of publication
•Realize or modify illustrations, backgrounds, icons, templates or any kind of
graphics to work in different formats or applications
•Develop large and complex graphic projects from start to finish
•Elaborate graphics and printed materials for special events and fairs
•Create and maintain a catalogue of pictures and graphic materials
•Work independently and cooperatively on multiple projects, meeting deadlines
and budget constraints, and scheduling project implementation based on
workload, which may include five or more simultaneous projects
•Meeting or communicating to understand what is required out of a project, and
helping get those ideas out in a workable way
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•Stay informed on design software and marketing/design trending and
innovations, and apply new concepts.
Graphic Designer & Program Coordinator
September 2019 - April 2022 (2 años 8 meses)
20455 Silverado Av. Cupertino, CA, 95014
•Design the overall conception and production of graphic materials including,
but not limited to; printed and interactive collaterals, offering flyers, logos,
brochures, presentations, graphic/charts, banners, directories, e-blast,
interactive forms, surveys, and visual design for web and social media,
building and keeping the branding guidelines
•Apply professional graphic design principles and develop materials to support
business development
•Create digital and print advertisement materials or any type of publication
•Realize or modify illustrations, backgrounds, icons, templates or any kind of
graphics to work in different formats or applications
•Develop large and complex graphic projects from start to finish
•Elaborate graphics and printed materials for special events and fairs
•Create and maintain a catalogue of pictures and graphic materials
•Work independently and cooperatively on multiple projects, meeting deadlines
and budget constraints, and scheduling project implementation based on
workload, which may include five or more simultaneous projects
•Meeting or communicating to understand what is required out of a project, and
helping get those ideas out in a workable way
•Stay informed on design software and marketing/design trending and
innovations, and apply new concepts.
Enterprise Foundation
Graphic Designer
March 2018 - September 2019
(1 year 7 months)San Jose, California, United States
Responsible of ACCESS Magazine chart design and layout formation.
Including the illustration of the concept by designing the rough layout
of art and copy regarding an arrangement, size, type size and style, and
related aesthetic concepts of articles in English and 3 additional languages.
Photoshoots for cover and interior pages of the magazine.
Responsible of maintaining the branding applied to the communications.
Responsible of the graphics, setup and delivery of the newsletter, social media
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publications, and Eventbrite events.
Responsible of updating the content and events calendar on the website of
SBDC Silicon Valley, Hispanic Satellite and Vietnamese American.
Design of flyers, signs, banners, and electronic materials for the promotion of
events such as Summit 2019 and Fair Resources for Small Business 2018-2019
Design of printed and electronic materials for workshops promotion through
social media.
Design of website for hccsv.com (Hispanic Chamber of Commerce).
Design of retractable banners, indoor signs, and screens design for TV
screens.
Video animation for short promotional materials such as Fair Resources and
SBDC Capital Program in 4 languages.
Formats design, certificates, business cards, brochures, and templates.
Creation of graphics for promotional materials for courses.
Events creation in social media, and graphics.
Events creation in Eventbrite, and graphics.
Design of electronic newsletter creating graphics sent through Constant
Contact.
Creation of LinkedIn and Twitter accounts with graphics representing the
brand.
Design of logotypes for events.
Duodigital, Inc. Graphic Design
Graphic Designer
January 2015 - June 2017 (2 years 6 months)
San Jose, California, United States
Managed, prioritized, supervised and distributed the company’s projects from
start to finish; meeting deadlines in an ambiguous fast-paced environment with
minimal up-front information. Ensuring that the projects performed were
according to the customers’ intended communication, and handling the targets’
characteristics by analyzing its profile and requirements.
Duodigital, Inc. Graphic Design
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Graphic Designer Director
August 2013 - August 2014 (1 year 1 month)
San Jose California
Initiation of company, requirements and permits, develop a network of contacts
and clients, presence in fairs, workshops and showrooms. Manage the project
team, client relationships, budgets and deliverables, quality control. Ability to
manage multiple deadlines and work as a collaborative team member.
Skilled design, strong sense of typography, conceptual thinking and attention
to detail. Ability to prioritize and manage work to adhere to critical project
timelines in a fast-paced environment. Solid understanding of user-centered
design principles and interaction design patterns related to web and mobile
design. Desire to learn new process or techniques.
Duodisa, S.A. de C.V.
Graphic Art Dept - Marketing
July 2001 - July 2013 (12 years 1 month)
Mexico City, CDMX
Manage the project team, client relationships, budgets and deliverables,
quality control. Ability to manage multiple deadlines and work as a
collaborative team member.
Skilled design, strong sense of typography, conceptual thinking and attention
to detail. Ability to prioritize and manage work to adhere to critical project
timelines in a fast-paced environment. Solid understanding of user-centered
design principles and interaction design patterns related to web and mobile
design. Desire to learn new process or techniques.
Education
Universidad Anáhuac
Bachelor Of Fine Arts In Graphic Design · (1992 - 1996)
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Contact
mvalerioPR2020@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/manuel-
valerio2020 (LinkedIn)
Top Skills
Community Development
Public Affairs
Public Speaking
Languages
Portuguese (Limited Working)
Spanish (Elementary)
Manuel Valerio
Public Relations and Communications Professional
San Jose, California, United States
Summary
Experienced Community Relations leader with both hands on and
strategic skills, collaborating across all levels in both business and
government and externally with community partners. Firm believer
in “people and profits,” I create lasting programs that benefit society
while building positive reputations for organizations and brands.
Accomplishments include:
Team Leader of Fry’s Golf Tournament - $1M directly donated to
charity
Implemented $500K Fry’s tech donation to Computer History
Museum
Enhanced Fry’s reputation with Media and local government entities
Team member that helped bring Bart service to Santa Clara County
Led group that secured funds for Senior Center and Olympic Size
Community Swimming Pool.
Led campaign team for my two successful elections to City Council
Skills I bring include:
Creative and critical thinker with strong interpersonal skills; able to
develop strategic vision and execute plans to further both business
and corporate social responsibility objectives.
Where I can help: Corporate Communications, Community
Relations, Government Relations, Customer Service and Customer
Success, Social Media, Content Writing, Editing, Public Speaking.
Experience
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Cupertino Chamber of Commerce
Director of Membership
February 2023 - Present (5 months)
Cupertino, California, United States
Fry's Electronics, Inc.
Community Relations Manager
May 1998 - February 2021 (22 years 10 months)
San Jose, California, United States
Sunnyvale Community Services
Board Member
2006 - 2011 (5 years)
City of Sunnyvale
Mayor and Councilmember
November 1995 - November 2003 (8 years 1 month)
Served two terms on City Council, and also served as Vice Mayor and Mayor
for one year in each role.
VTA Board
Boardmember
1995 - 2003 (8 years)
Represented Sunnyvale and North County Cities, Board Chair, 2000.
Senator Alfred E. Alquist
Senior Aide
June 1986 - December 1996 (10 years 7 months)
Senior Aide in San Jose District Office
Education
San Jose State University
B.A. History, U.S. and European
Leadership Sunnyvale
· (1995 - 1995)
San Jose State University
M.A. History
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Contact
408-550-6158 (Work)
rickgkitson@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/rickkitson
(LinkedIn)
www.cupertino-chamber.org
(Company)
Top Skills
Community Relations Management
Media Relations
Internal Communications
Certifications
Newhouse Hootsuite Advanced
Social Media Strategy Certificate
Rick Kitson
Executive Director of the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce
San Francisco Bay Area
Summary
Rick Kitson is the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce's Executive
Director. During his career, programs under his direction consistently
won national and international awards and competitions. He has
worked for agencies and officials from Silicon Valley to Members of
the European Parliament. Mr. Kitson has been instrumental in the
development of local government alternative programs and has been
at the forefront of municipal e-services. Mr. Kitson studied for his
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Science in Mass
Communication at San Jose State University. He has also studied at
the Monterey Institute of International Studies, the London School of
Economics, and Harvard University.
Experience
Cupertino Chamber of Commerce
7 years 1 month
Executive Director
May 2022 - Present (1 year 2 months)
Cupertino, California, United States
Oversee critical business operations for the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce
Promote a culture of continuous improvement in service delivery
Nurture and maintain positive relationships with the community, major
stakeholders, agencies, and members
Work with committees and the board of directors to address issues that the
organization faces
Act as the spokesperson of the organization
Create a culture of transparency and communications through the organization
Lead the business community's efforts to support and enhance Cupertino.
Spearhead campaigns to raise money for local charities and cultural
organizations.
Organize and promote community events such as Holi, the Cupertino Food
and Wine Stroll, and the Bay Area Diwali Festival.
Director of Communications
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June 2016 - May 2022 (6 years)
Cupertino, CA
Implemented the Chamber’s first event, web, and customer reporting
processes.
• Tracked and responded to legislation at the local, county, and state levels.
• Implemented an online project management system.
• Created reports to direct marketing and communications strategies and set
goals.
• Developed and implemented digital communications initiatives.
• Initiated and administered a comprehensive event and service assessment
program.
• Designed, implemented, and managed communication programs, including
integration of social media into all digital and print communications, web, and
newsletter.
• Organized and coordinated monthly issue-based community forums.
• Served as the liaison with the city of Cupertino staff, executive staff, and
council members.
• Supported and advised CEO and board of directors.
City of Cupertino
15 years
Public Affairs Director and CIO
July 2014 - June 2016 (2 years)
Cupertino, CA
Public & Environmental Affairs Director
January 2008 - July 2014 (6 years 7 months)
Public Communication Manager
2001 - 2008 (7 years)
Santa Clara County Department of Correction
Public Information Officer, Management Analyst
January 1995 - January 1999 (4 years 1 month)
180 West Hedding Street San Jose, CA 95110
Serve as principal media liaison for Santa Clara County Department of
Correction. Analyze crime and jail population trends.
County of Santa Clara
Policy Aide
1987 - 1994 (7 years)
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Education
Harvard Kennedy School
certificate of completion, Senior Executives in State and Local Government
Program · (2009 - 2009)
Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
International Policy Studies · (1987 - 1988)
Boston University
International Policy Studies · (1987 - 1987)
San Jose State University
BS, Political Science · (1980 - 1986)
Leadership Sunnyvale
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