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CC 06-06-2023 Item No. 12 Consider the Recommended Operating and Capitaol Improvement Program for FY 2023-24_Written CommunicationsCC 06-06-2023 Item #12 Consider the Recommended Operating and Capital Improvement Program Budgets for Fiscal Year 2023-24 Written Communications From:Jean Bedord To:City Council; Cupertino City Manager"s Office; City Clerk Subject:Agenda Item #12: Operating Budget FY2-23-24 - DO NOT eliminate Festival Fee Waivers and Sheriff"s costs Date:Tuesday, June 6, 2023 1:46:05 PM Attachments:image.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Honorable Mayor Wei, Vice Mayor Mohan, and Councilmembers Fruen, Chao and Moore, I am appalled that staff is recommending elimination of the festival fee waivers, and reducing city city support. Cupertino is known for its festivals, and should be encouraging more of them, instead of "killing" them by significantly increasing their costs. These festivals are run by volunteers, with minimal involvement by city staff. These organizations have limited fund-raising capabilities, unlike the city which has tax revenues. These festivals attract thousands of participants across the region, not just Cupertino, who then spend substantial money in Cupertino, an economic benefit to our business economy. The so-called additional Revenue from Elimination of Festival Fee Waivers for $84,218 is false economy -- the festivals will either die or move to another city, so no revenue to Cupertino. It takes years to build a following for a festival -- the Bhubaneswar Sister City producer already spoke to council about the challenges to their young organization. The Cherry Blossom Festival set to lose $43,052 was named the Best Festival in Silicon Valley - why would the city even consider "killing" it? Cupertino needs all the positive publicity it can get, so why is the city taking such a negative approach? Staff has already found additional revenue by reducing funds for the library ($160,000), prepaying CALPERS pension plan ($154,149), and an increase in SB 1 - Gas Tax ($313,218), totally an increase of $627,367 in revenue. There is NO need to eliminate the $84,218 for festival waivers in the budget. There is also the opportunity to add a contingency fund for Shakespeare in the Park, which benefits seniors to youth. Make the wise decision to eliminate this item I.i from the budget and to restore the Festival Fee Waivers and sheriff's costs - don't be "penny-wise and pound-foolish" which kshort-changes the community. From a marketing standpoint, this is a miniscule line item. Instead, please approve this alternative: Approve additional appropriations of $120,710 for Festival Costs as detailed in the following table. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recommended Action 1. Adopt Resolution No. 23-XXX establishing an Operating Budget of $117,645,365 for FY 2023-24, which includes the following changes to the FY 2023-24 Proposed Budget, published on May 5, 2023: i. Approve additional estimated revenue of $84,218 resulting from the elimination of festival fee waivers as included in Attachment D. Regards, Jean Bedord Cupertino resident From:alysa sakkas To:City Council Subject:Agenda Item #12 -Please continue to waive fees for the Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival Date:Tuesday, June 6, 2023 12:59:40 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Cupertino City Council members, Regarding tonight's council agenda #12, the materials state: Pg 344 Agenda item 12. Revenue from Elimination of Festival Fee Waivers The Parks and Recreation Department is proposing to charge fees for festival organizers, which were waived by the City in past years. By implementing this change, the Department aims to generate additional revenue of $84,218. City-paid expenses for sheriff costs and materials have also been reduced in the FY 2023-24 Proposed Budget. I am writing to urge you to please continue the Fee Waivers for the annual Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival. Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities, Inc. is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that works hard to nurture the City of Cupertino's sister city relationship with Toyokawa, Japan for the benefit of the City of Cupertino and community. Besides the goal of honoring the City's sister city relationship and sharing Japanese culture with the community, the financial goal of the festival is to fundraise for the expenses associated with our student exchange program, sending CUSD-teachers as chaperones and offering scholarships to students for whom there would be a financial barrier to allow their participation. In addition to the student exchange program, this fundraiser is used to pay for the expenses of hosting an adult exchange every five years and our annual community Bell Ringing for World Peace event. Without the waiver of fees for the festival, we may be unable to continue much of our programming. In fact, we may need to make the difficult decision to not hold the festival altogether since we may be in jeopardy of being able to cover all the expenses associated with holding a festival without the grant of the fee waiver. Furthermore, our beloved Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival has garnered top awards from festival goers, this year receiving the top award as "Best Festival" from: The Mercury News, Metro Magazine, and the Bay Area Parent Magazine. These accolades elevate Cupertino as a high quality festival venue and the Cupertino Cherry blossom festival as a worthwhile trip for vendors and festival goers from all over the San Francisco Bay area and even as far as the Los Angeles area. Continuing to waive the fees for the Cupertino Cherry Blossom festival allows the Cupertino- Toyokawa Sister Cities Committee to support Cupertino's sister city relationship with Toyokawa, Japan. Sincerely, Alysa Sakkas Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities, Inc. President From:Lav Pachauri To:City Council Cc:Preeti Pachauri; alysa sakkas Subject:Cupertino Council Meeting on June 6, 2023: Agenda Item #12 - Request to please continue to waive fees for the Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival Date:Tuesday, June 6, 2023 2:41:20 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Cupertino City Council members, Regarding tonight's council agenda #12, I have a very sincere request for your consideration: Pg 344 Agenda item 12. Revenue from Elimination of Festival Fee Waivers The Parks and Recreation Department is proposing to charge fees for festival organizers, which were waived by the City in past years. By implementing this change, the Department aims to generate additional revenue of $84,218. City-paid expenses for sheriff costs and materials have also been reduced in the FY 2023-24 Proposed Budget. Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities, Inc. is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that works hard to nurture the City of Cupertino's sister city relationship with Toyokawa, Japan for the benefit of the City of Cupertino and community. We urge you to please continue the Fee Waivers for the annual Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival as the imposition of the fee would render the festival unviable and lead to immeasurable losses in terms of lost opportunities for community and cultural development in our Beloved city and our sister city in Japan. Furthermore, our beloved Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival has garnered top awards from festival goers, this year receiving the top award as "Best Festival" from: The Mercury News, Metro Magazine, and the Bay Area Parent Magazine. These accolades elevate Cupertino as a high quality festival venue and the Cupertino Cherry blossom festival as a worthwhile trip for vendors and festival goers from all over the San Francisco Bay area and even as far as the Los Angeles area. Continuing to waive the fees for the Cupertino Cherry Blossom festival allows the Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities Committee to support Cupertino's sister city relationship with Toyokawa, Japan and grow young cultural ambassadors in our community. Sincerely, Preeti & Lav Pachauri Long-term residents and active volunteers in this sister city organization. From:Mahesh To:Hung Wei; Sheila Mohan; Liang Chao; J.R. Fruen; Kitty Moore Cc:reena rao Subject:Agenda Item #12 -Please continue to waive fees for the Cupertino Bhubaneswar Sister City Events Date:Tuesday, June 6, 2023 3:23:24 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Cupertino City Council members, Regarding tonight's council agenda #12, the materials state: Pg 344 Agenda item 12. Revenue from Elimination of Festival Fee Waivers The Parks and Recreation Department is proposing to charge fees for festival organizers, which were waived by the City in past years. By implementing this change, the Department aims to generate additional revenue of $84,218. City-paid expenses for sheriff costs and materials have also been reduced in the FY 2023-24 Proposed Budget. I am writing to urge you to please continue the Fee Waivers for the annual Cupertino Bhubaneswar Sister City Event. We are planning for the upcoming Second Heritage India Faire and Konark Festival, which will be held on September 23, 2023, at Memorial Park in Cupertino. The festival is presented by the Cupertino Bhubaneswar Sister City (CBSCI), in collaboration with the City of Cupertino and other partners. As a 501c3 non-profit organization, CBSCI aims to foster positive multi-cultural interaction and understanding through art, culture, and education exchanges. The festival is a celebration of the sister city’s relationship with Cupertino and Bhubaneswar, and we anticipate a significant turnout. It is an epic event that showcases a great index of all dance genres and dance forms, along with the arts and crafts faire, taking us through a journey of rich cultural heritage. As part of the sister city exchange program, the festival educates and celebrates mutual understanding of diverse cultures, promoting friendship and bilateral ties. The event brings together nonprofit leaders, cultural/art ambassadors, technologists, and innovators to create a cultural immersion drive that builds a positive impact for both people and our planet. Your contribution provides support to many local communities (skilled local and international artisans). This year we did not get grants from the Park & Recs and now removing the fee waivers will make it untenable to organize such a festival. These events showcase our people, our heritage, and our values and strengthen community bonds. There is no cheaper and more equitable path toward creating culturally vibrant cities, one that requires less public funding and much less steel and glass. Our sister city festivals also provide a financial bump for local businesses, others help to drive the economies of Cupertino city. Please we request you to consider continuing with the fee waivers for the Cupertino Bhubaneswar sister city events to promote exchange programs between the two cities and countries. Warm regards, Mahesh Pakala Co-Founder of Cupertino Bhubaneswar Sister City Initiative (CBSCI) 510-789-7100 From:Rhoda Fry To:City Clerk; City Council Subject:Cupertino City Council June 6, 2023 Agenda Item #12 Budget and CIP Date:Tuesday, June 6, 2023 3:21:56 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear City Council, SUMMARY: Rhoda Fry asked for a significant reduction in the budget in light of the outcome of the CDTFA audit. I urge you to not vote for this overly-bloated budget today. We still have time to do it right. First and foremost, we need to have a line-by-line reconciliation of budgets-to-actual from the past 3 years. If we had those, then we would have known where we under-estimated expenses and where we over-estimated. One notable area in over-estimation was in anticipated library fees that were never owed. From the budget presentation, previous years total actuals were around $80M. Now we’re at $117M and we are about to be dipping into savings for at least a decade. Please also consider that our going into savings is not as apparent now, because funds that should have been put into long-term savings were instead put into an unallocated fund – so our actual dip into savings appears to be lower. We’ve had a lot of head-count (was it 22 jobs?) that was not filled in 2022. We have been told that we would have a reduction in services if we did not hire more people. So how bad was it for us residents that those jobs were not filled? Can you please explain? Thanks to staff for providing the written answers to City Council members – the data on City employment was especially helpful. Meanwhile, many more jobs are being allocated and the City has been on a hiring spree. Headcount is one of our biggest cost centers and one of the hardest things to cut. We need to be more careful in our hiring. Please – we have got to reduce this budget. If you are not willing to do it now, please agree to review the budget when we get the final decision from the CDTFA. I would also like to reiterate that there has been no information provided on how our City budget will be affected if we have to pay money back to the State and that worries me. Regards, Rhoda Fry From:dinosaddr3-email@yahoo.com To:City Council Cc:asakkas@gmail.com; asakkas@gmail.com Subject:Comment on Agenda Item #12, Please Support the Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister City Relationship! Date:Tuesday, June 6, 2023 3:31:03 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Subj: Agenda Item #12 -Please continue to waive fees for the Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival Dear Cupertino City Council members, Regarding tonight's council agenda #12, the materials state: Pg 344 Agenda item 12. - Revenue from Elimination of Festival Fee Waivers The Parks and Recreation Department is proposing to charge fees for festival organizers, which were waived by the City in past years. By implementing this change, the Department aims to generate additional revenue of $84,218. City-paid expenses for sheriff costs and materials have also been reduced in the FY 2023-24 Proposed Budget. I am writing to urge you to please continue the Fee Waivers for the annual Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival. Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities, Inc. is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that has been working hard to maintain the City of Cupertino's sister city relationship with Toyokawa, Japan for the benefit of the City of Cupertino and community for the past 45 years. The sister city relationship includes the yearly exchange of students and the exchange of adults every 5 years. Proceeds from the festival are used to send CUSD-teachers as chaperones and offering limited scholarships to students for whom there would be a financial barrier to allow their participation. Without the waiver of fees for the festival, we may be unable to continue hold the festival, without the festival proceeds we will be unable to continue our student exchange program because the festival is the main source of funds. Also note that if the festival is cancelled the proposed revenue will also be eliminated. Our beloved Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival has garnered top awards from festival goers, this year receiving the top award as "Best Festival" from: The Mercury News, Metro Magazine, and the Bay Area Parent Magazine. These accolades elevate Cupertino as a high quality festival venue and the Cupertino Cherry blossom festival as a worthwhile trip for vendors and festival goers from all over the San Francisco Bay area and even as far as the Los Angeles area. It is also attended by Federal and State government officials and the Consul General of Japan in San Francisco. Continuing to waive the fees for the Cupertino Cherry Blossom festival allows the Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities Committee to maintain Cupertino's sister city relationship with Toyokawa, Japan and elevates the status of the City of Cupertino at the state and international level. Sincerely, Dino Sakkas Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities, Inc. From:Jean Gasperini To:City Council Subject:Agenda Item #12 -Please continue to waive fees for the Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival Date:Tuesday, June 6, 2023 3:51:22 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Cupertino City Council members, Regarding tonight's council agenda #12, the materials state: Pg 344 Agenda item 12. Revenue from Elimination of Festival Fee Waivers The Parks and Recreation Department is proposing to charge fees for festival organizers, which were waived by the City in past years. By implementing this change, the Department aims to generate additional revenue of $84,218. City-paid expenses for sheriff costs and materials have also been reduced in the FY 2023-24 Proposed Budget. I am writing to urge you to please continue the Fee Waivers for the annual Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival. I affirm the statements below from Alysa Sakkas, Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities, Inc. I echo her statements that the Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival is a premiere festival in the Bay Area, bringing many visitors to Cupertino. It spotlights Cupertino in a positive manner, celebrating cultural awareness in a festive environment enjoyed by families and citizens of all ages. The CTSC organization has a strong history, beginning in 1978, staying vibrant throughout decades. Jean Gasperini Secretary Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities, Inc Member since 2005 Below are Alysa Sakkas' statements: "Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities, Inc. is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that works hard to nurture the City of Cupertino's sister city relationship with Toyokawa, Japan for the benefit of the City of Cupertino and community. Besides the goal of honoring the City's sister city relationship and sharing Japanese culture with the community, the financial goal of the festival is to fundraise for the expenses associated with our student exchange program, sending CUSD-teachers as chaperones and offering scholarships to students for whom there would be a financial barrier to allow their participation. In addition to the student exchange program, this fundraiser is used to pay for the expenses of hosting an adult exchange every five years and our annual community Bell Ringing for World Peace event. Without the waiver of fees for the festival, we may be unable to continue much of our programming. In fact, we may need to make the difficult decision to not hold the festival altogether since we may be in jeopardy of being able to cover all the expenses associated with holding a festival without the grant of the fee waiver. Furthermore, our beloved Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival has garnered top awards from festival goers, this year receiving the top award as "Best Festival" from: The Mercury News, Metro Magazine, and the Bay Area Parent Magazine. These accolades elevate Cupertino as a high quality festival venue and the Cupertino Cherry blossom festival as a worthwhile trip for vendors and festival goers from all over the San Francisco Bay area and even as far as the Los Angeles area. Continuing to waive the fees for the Cupertino Cherry Blossom festival allows the Cupertino- Toyokawa Sister Cities Committee to support Cupertino's sister city relationship with Toyokawa, Japan. Sincerely, Alysa Sakkas Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities, Inc. President" From:Gary McCue To:City Council Subject:Budget deficit impact to Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities Date:Tuesday, June 6, 2023 3:46:35 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Honorable Cupertino Council Members and Mayor, About 1 hour ago, I was alerted to Cupertino’s potentially dire budget situation, if Apple’s tax contribution from online sales were to be eliminated or curtailed, and how that might affect the Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities (CTSC) program for which I have advocated while on the Cupertino Union School District board some years ago and continue to support as a current member of the CTSC committee. I understand how government bureaucracies can and sometimes do over- react, and I am writing to ask you not to do this, even in face of what may seem like an insurmountable deficit, should it happen. The immediate concern to CTSC are fee waivers for the use of Memorial Park during our 2-day Cherry Blossom Festival at the end of April. Over the past 40 years, CTSC has supported the Cupertino relationship with Toyokawa and as a result has helped create and prosper international bonds of understanding, and appreciation between diverse cultures, using the sister cities model. The Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival has financially supported student exchanges to Toyokawa as well as providing opportunities for local artists and community organizations a venue for demonstrating Japanese culture to residents. I don’t think that the benefits to Cupertino of bringing together diverse cultures and shared experiences can be overstated. Without fee waivers, it is possible that we might not be able to hold the Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival in Cupertino, which would be an odd and sad ending to an era of support and cooperation, I think. There is one more thing that I think you should consider. I understand that the fees represent real costs, or should. However, collecting them could have the unintentional effect of eliminating the Memorial Park venue for us and other community-based organizations. The buildings would still need to be maintained, the grass mowed, safety of playgrounds would still need to monitored, etc. To my way of thinking, eliminating the venue as an option for community groups by charging more than the current fee waiver practice would be similar to locking the doors to the library on weekends. Residents might accept it but it will be remembered by those who care about the diversity that Cupertino has come to be known for throughout the world, in the same way that a parent might remember not being able to take their children to the library on weekends. I hope that you will give Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities the chance to discuss how we can help Cupertino and not place us in the difficult situation of leaving us without real options. We plan 1 year in advance for the Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival to become successful, so not knowing has the very similar to saying no. I appreciate the chance to explain my particular perspective on this matter and I hope that you will find time to discuss options with Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities. Sincerely, Gary McCue From:Shrinivas Venkatraman To:City Council Subject:Suggestions from a concerned resident Date:Tuesday, June 6, 2023 3:45:19 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hello Mayor Wei, Vice-mayor Mohan, city council members, 67% of Cupertino is of Asian heritage. We are a fiscally frugal and responsible community. We manage our credit and finances and spend less than we make. We ask you to do the same. I ask you to NOT spend our taxpayer money on wasteful projects. Please do NOT approve allocations for the below. 1. No money to chamber of commerce 2. No money to city hall 3. No money to concrete cinder block bike lanes and road lane removals 4. No money to more than 3 study projects at a time 5. No money to wasteful non-essential spend Please do prioritize spending for: 1. Community events like Holi, Diwali 2. Janitorial services 3. Paving roads 4. Essential infrastructure 5. Parks and rec maintenance 6. Community and kids classes 7. Kids and teen events 8. Law enforcement Finally please make deep cuts in city staff administration headcount. We need to cut actual headcount not just vacant but opened positions. Thank you. Sincerely, Shrinivas Venkatraman From:KC CH To:City Council Subject:Requesting not to waste taxpayer money Date:Tuesday, June 6, 2023 3:37:33 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hello Mayor Wei, Vice-mayor Mohan, city council members, 67% of Cupertino is of Asian heritage. We are a fiscally frugal and responsible community. We manage our credit and finances and spend less than we make. We ask you to do the same. I ask you to NOT spend our taxpayer money on wasteful projects. Please do NOT approve allocations for the below. 1. No money to chamber of commerce 2. No money to city hall 3. No money to concrete cinder block bike lanes and road lane removals 4. No money to more than 3 study projects at a time 5. No money to wasteful non-essential spend Please do prioritize spending for: 1. Community events like Holi, Diwali 2. Janitorial services 3. Paving roads 4. Essential infrastructure 5. Parks and rec maintenance 6. Community and kids classes 7. Kids and teen events 8. Law enforcement Finally please make deep cuts in city staff administration headcount. We need to cut actual headcount not just vacant but opened positions. Thank you. Sincerely, Kalyani Challa Cupertino Resident From:Swaphna Srihari To:City Council Subject:Priorities for approving budget Date:Tuesday, June 6, 2023 3:35:59 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hello Mayor Wei, Vice-mayor Mohan, city council members, 67% of Cupertino is of Asian heritage. We are a fiscally frugal and responsible community. We manage our credit and finances and spend less than we make. We ask you to do the same. I ask you to NOT spend our taxpayer money on wasteful projects. Please do NOT approve allocations for the below. 1. No money to chamber of commerce 2. No money to city hall 3. No money to concrete cinder block bike lanes and road lane removals 4. No money to more than 3 study projects at a time 5. No money to wasteful non-essential spend Please do prioritize spending for: 1. Community events like Holi, Diwali 2. Janitorial services 3. Paving roads 4. Essential infrastructure 5. Parks and rec maintenance 6. Community and kids classes 7. Kids and teen events 8. Law enforcement Finally please make deep cuts in city staff administration headcount. We need to cut actual headcount not just vacant but opened positions. Thank you. Sincerely, Swaphna. From:Angela Chen Lee To:City Council Cc:Pamela Wu Subject:Today"s City Council Meeting-Budget Date:Tuesday, June 6, 2023 4:01:10 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Cupertino City Members, I am writing to urge you to continue the Fee Waivers for the annual Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival. The Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival is an award-winning festival operated by the Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities, Inc., an all-volunteer non-profit organization. The Festival brings volunteers together to work toward the common goal of honoring the City's sister city relationship and sharing Japanese culture with the community. The financial goal of the festival is to fundraise for the expenses associated with our student exchange program, sending CUSD-teachers as chaperones and offering scholarships to students having a financial barrier for participation. Most importantly, the Festival brings the community together to enjoy the different culture and learn more about our City. As all of you stated at the City's CREST Award ceremony: "volunteers make Cupertino a better place to live". We volunteers also need and appreciate City's support to continue serving the residents of OUR City. This fee waiver is not a loss of revenue but an investment in our community. Warmly, Angela Chen Cupertino-Hsinchu Sister City Association