CC 03-05-2024 Item No. 7 Revisions to Commissioner & Committee Handbook _Late Written CommunicationsCC 3-05-2024
Item No. 7
Revisions to City
Commission and
Committee Handbook
Written Communications
From:Peggy Griffin
To:City Council
Cc:City Clerk
Subject:2024-03-05 City Council Meeting AGENDA ITEM 7 - Commissions and Committee changes
Date:Tuesday, March 5, 2024 8:22:38 PM
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THE ABOVE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA ITEM.
Dear City Council,
With regard to City Council Agenda Item #7 – Commissions and Committee changes, please
see below.
Sincerely,
Peggy Griffin
ATTACHMENT B
Sustainability Commission
DO NOT remove a Cupertino based business. We NEED their inputs and perspective! Acompromise would be to allow a Cupertino resident that is a business owner elsewhere.Add that members cannot be people who could profit from decisions made by thiscommission.
ATTACHMENT D
DO NOT agree with having the City Manager or designee select the valid applicants! Ourdemocracy is based on checks and balances. The fact that you have reduced it to everyother year has reduced the time and effort required BUT leave it at that. DO NOT withhold the list of ALL applicants to ALL Councilmembers!DO NOT remove the alternate commissioner becauseReducing a commission can cause problems in voting.Things happen and primary commissioners may need to drop out and the cityneeds to have an alternate already selected and ready to step in. It’s efficient andsaves time.AGREE w the training and conflict of interest reporting clause – if paperwork notsubmitted ON TIME hey should be automatically removed from their commissions.VERY IMPORTANT – Address when and how a commission meeting can be cancelled. The Chair of the commission should have a say!
ATTACHMENT E
AGENDAS…”No agenda item requiring preparation of a staff report may be scheduledwithout approval of the City Manager or their designee.” There are MANY items that can be discussed within a commission meeting worequiring a staff report.WHO decided when a staff report is required?RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL by commissionsThe CC agendized item MUST be presented and discussed AT the commission
meeting with materials BEFORE coming to council.CITY WORK PROGRAMDO NOT change “will” to “may” reach out to commissionsWhy are you deleting the annual report of progress by commissions?
From:Jean Bedord
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: Agenda Item #7 Revisions to City Commissions - Housing Commission, March 5, 2024, City Council
Date:Tuesday, March 5, 2024 6:31:43 PM
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---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Jean Bedord <Jean@bedord.com>
Date: Tue, Mar 5, 2024 at 11:25 AM
Subject: Agenda Item #7 Revisions to City Commissions - Housing Commission, March 5,
2024, City Council
To: City Council <citycouncil@cupertino.org>, Cupertino City Manager's Office
<citymanager@cupertino.org>, <mattm@cupertino.org>
Mayor Mohan, Vice-Mayor Fruen, Council members and staff,
The proposed changes to commissions and committees are definitely a step forward to
improving administration, procedures and governance. However, I disagree with one change
to the Housing Commission.
Section 2 A.
A. The Housing Commission members must be residents of Cupertino.
While I agree with removing the "business" representative requirement, this should be
changed to recognize the importance of multi-unit housing in Cupertino (aren't approximately
40% of Cupertino residents renters?): Instead, substitute:
A. The Housing Commission may allow up to one representative of a multifamily
housing complex in Cupertino, which could be senior housing, affordable housing,
disabled housing or rental complexes. Such representative is not required to be a
resident of Cupertino. The other commissioners must be residents of Cupertino.
Most housing managers and housing related agencies can’t afford to live in Cupertino, unless
they are onsite managers. This wording removes the requirement, which has been problematic
for recruiting qualified candidates, but allows this representation if there are qualified
applicants. It might be extended to allow a housing advocacy group representative who may
not reside in Cupertino.
Resident, former library commissioner and senior housing advocate,
Jean Bedord
From: Jennifer Shearin <JShearin@cupertino.gov>
Date: March 1, 2024 at 6:04:17 PM PST
To: Kirsten Squarcia <KirstenS@cupertino.gov>
Subject: Re: 3/5/24 Council agenda items for input
Hi Kirsten,
Here are my comments regarding the updated Commission procedures and Handbook.
Overall, I find the updates to Commission Procedures and the Handbook are useful and will help clarify
the expectations for commissioners. Thank you for taking time to make this much-needed improvement.
In two areas I have concerns. One is in the Commissioner’s Handbook (Attachment G), and one is in
Resolution 24-022 (Attachment D).
1. In the Commissioner’s Handbook, in the section on Agendas/Future Agenda Setting, it states:
Future Agenda Setting
The staff liaison will maintain a list of future agenda items that the commission plans to discuss. The
Chair, the staff liaison, or any two commissioners can add an agenda item within their purpose to the
future agenda item list and it will be scheduled at the discretion of the Chair and staff liaison.
Clarification on the word "discretion" is needed to avoid conflicts. This line does not make it clear
whether the staff liaison can veto scheduling an agenda item the chair would like the to schedule,
assuming there is no staff report. Currently, chairs are able to do this.
Likewise, under the unlikely situation that the Chair disagrees with the staff liaison regarding scheduling
an agenda item for a particular month, it would be helpful to clarify if the Chair has that veto power.
2. In the Resolution 24-022, it states:
A member fails to comply with legally required training or conflict of interest reporting requirements
after receiving notice and a reasonable opportunity to correct the noncompliance.
1. The training requirement should be “mandatory” training, not “legally required”. If the training
is mandatory, then it should be tracked by the city and there should be penalties to not completing it in a
timely manner.
2. The “reasonable opportunity” should be spelled out somewhere. One recommendation is to
have a notice that the mandated training is not complete, and it must then be completed within a month
of the notice. While the training is incomplete, commissioners may not participate in commission work.
Thank you,
Jennifer Shearin
Jennifer Shearin
Parks and Recreation Commission Chair
JShearin@cupertino.gov
________________________________________
From: Kirsten Squarcia <KirstenS@cupertino.gov>
Sent: Thursday, February 29, 2024 9:05 AM
Cc: Astrid Robles <AstridR@cupertino.gov>; City Clerk <cityclerk@cupertino.gov>
Subject: 3/5/24 Council agenda items for input
Good morning Commission and Committee members (Bcc’d on this email),
As discussed in Monday’s training session, the City Council will consider the following items at the
Tuesday, March 5 Council meeting (see attached agenda for item details). Your input is welcome. You
may provide comments by replying to this email. Your comments will be collected and provided to the
Council.
STUDY SESSION at 5:00 PM
1. Subject: Revisions to Cupertino City Council Procedures Manual
REGULAR MEETING at 6:45 PM
7. Subject: Revisions to City commission and committee administration, procedure, and governance,
including an ordinance to regularize commissioner appointments and revise commissioner qualifications;
and resolutions adopting revisions to advisory bodies appointment process and Commissioners’
Handbook.
You may also address the Council directly on these items:
1. Email the City Council citycouncil@cupertino.org
2. Appear in person at Cupertino Community Hall
3. Attend via Teleconference
• Online: https://cityofcupertino.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YOyG6tsjTt6-4lkkrNbLrQ
• By Phone: Dial: 669-900-6833 and enter Webinar ID: 944 5378 0692
Regards, Kirsten
Kirsten Squarcia
City Clerk
City Manager's Office
KirstenS@cupertino.gov
(408) 777-3225
From: Alexander Fung <AFung@cupertino.gov>
Date: March 1, 2024 at 2:19:03 PM PST
To: Kirsten Squarcia <KirstenS@cupertino.gov>
Cc: Astrid Robles <AstridR@cupertino.gov>, City Clerk <cityclerk@cupertino.gov>
Subject: Re: 3/5/24 Council agenda items for input
Good Afternoon Kristen,
Thank you for sharing these updates.
I certainly appreciate the City Council and staff for standardizing and streamlining the process further,
but I would recommend that the terms for the existing commissioners be unaffected and that the
changes be implemented in the next round of recruitment and/or after the terms of the existing
commissioners expire. With the removal of the business representative seats from the Housing and
Sustainability Commissions, I recommend that the City consider forming an Economic Development
Committee or Commission to ensure that the City continue to stay committed in obtaining feedback and
recommendations from business owners, managers, or representatives in key decisions and projects.
Additionally, since I am currently serving as a business representative on the Sustainability Commission
(but I am also a resident of Cupertino), would my business seat immediately convert to a community
member seat after Council's adoption of the resolution?
Thank you very much again for the opportunity to comment and have a wonderful weekend.
Best,
Alex
Alexander P. Fung, MPP
Commissioner
Sustainability Commission
afung@cupertino.gov
(408) 777-3200
________________________________________
From: Kirsten Squarcia <KirstenS@cupertino.gov>
Sent: Thursday, February 29, 2024 9:05 AM
Cc: Astrid Robles <AstridR@cupertino.gov>; City Clerk <cityclerk@cupertino.gov>
Subject: 3/5/24 Council agenda items for input
Good morning Commission and Committee members (Bcc’d on this email),
As discussed in Monday’s training session, the City Council will consider the following items at the
Tuesday, March 5 Council meeting (see attached agenda for item details). Your input is welcome. You
may provide comments by replying to this email. Your comments will be collected and provided to the
Council.
STUDY SESSION at 5:00 PM
1. Subject: Revisions to Cupertino City Council Procedures Manual
REGULAR MEETING at 6:45 PM
7. Subject: Revisions to City commission and committee administration, procedure, and governance,
including an ordinance to regularize commissioner appointments and revise commissioner qualifications;
and resolutions adopting revisions to advisory bodies appointment process and Commissioners’
Handbook.
You may also address the Council directly on these items:
1. Email the City Council citycouncil@cupertino.org
2. Appear in person at Cupertino Community Hall
3. Attend via Teleconference
• Online: https://cityofcupertino.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YOyG6tsjTt6-4lkkrNbLrQ
• By Phone: Dial: 669-900-6833 and enter Webinar ID: 944 5378 0692
Regards, Kirsten
Kirsten Squarcia
City Clerk
City Manager's Office
KirstenS@cupertino.gov
(408) 777-3225