CC 12-12-2024 Late Written CommunicationsCC 12-12-2024
Recognition of
Outgoing
Councilmembers
Written Communications
From:louise saadati
To:City Clerk; City Council
Subject:Fwd: Please send us a statement to read during Public Communications for 12/12/24 Special City Council Meeting
Date:Thursday, December 12, 2024 7:18:51 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.
Please include this in the record for public communications on 12/12/24 city council meeting.
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Yvonne Strom <yrthor@gmail.com>
Date: December 12, 2024 at 2:07:52 PM PST
To: louise saadati <lwsaadati@gmail.com>
Cc: John Zhao <jzhao098@gmail.com>, Gauri Chawla
<gauribchawla@gmail.com>, Ian Greensides <ian@greensides.com>, Sean
Hughes <jxseanhughes@gmail.com>, Shivani Kavuluru
<kavuluru.shivani@gmail.com>, Connie Cunningham
<cunninghamconniel@gmail.com>, Kamyab Mashian
<kamyab.mashian@gmail.com>, Xinpei Lu <xinpei.l268@gmail.com>, Ava
Chiao <ava@avachiao.org>
Subject: Re: Please send us a statement to read during Public
Communications for 12/12/24 Special City Council Meeting
Hi Louise,
Thanks for organizing the public comment for tonight. I'm sorry that I am not
feeling well enough to participate in person. Here is the statement I wrote. I hope
someone can read it.
Yvonne
Esteemed colleagues,
I appreciate anyone who is willing to serve as an elected official to represent all
the people in the city. It can be a thankless job but it is important to make sure the
city functions well today and into the future. I especially acknowledge Hung Wei
for her exceptional, and fair-minded leadership on the City Council during the
past four years.
The city is in good shape today thanks to the diverse expertise of our city council
members. In the past two years the efforts of JR Fruen stood out for me. His
knowledge of state law was key to achieving the fastest possible passage of the
Housing Element and closing the window for builder's remedy projects that
bypass local control. He also contributed to handling the unexpected budget
shortfall.
There is overwhelming support from residents to continue these past successes.
Even through the divisiveness of the recent campaign it was possible to see that
we agree on so much more than we disagree on. We know we need to build more
housing to keep the city vibrant into the future, we need to prioritize safety for
everyone on the streets and in our neighborhoods, we need to support small
businesses, and we need to ensure that we have ample public spaces with
amenities for everyone.
Let’s move forward with respect for the process, and reasonable discourse. Let’s
work to build up, not tear down.
Respectfully,
Yvonne Thorstenson
On Thu, Dec 12, 2024 at 12:27 AM louise saadati <lwsaadati@gmail.com>
wrote:
Thanks for your support for Cupertino for All. If it
would be difficult for you attend the Council
meeting tomorrow, I wanted to offer that myself
and others could read your statement into the city
council record during Public Communications.
This effectively would allow your public comment
to be voiced! Would you like to send me a
statement? If so, please shoot it over my way
ASAP for me or others to read to the Special City
Council Meeting on 12/12/24 at 6:00 pm PST
during Public Communications—I’ll send it over to
the clerk for you as well. (My email is
lwsaadati@gmail.com).
This will enable your input to be heard on
12/12/24 Public Communications to represent
some of the 57% of residents who did not vote for
the BC candidates. The new BC majority needs
to be alerted to hear and collaborate with ALL the
residents and not just the 43% that voted for
them. We are also going to recommend that JR
be voted mayor as a huge sign that this new BC
majority council is willing to work for ALL the
residents.
The emails you received on 12/10/24 and
12/11/24 give more details. It was also posted on
CFA SLACK.
Thank you for all you have done for Cupertino and
Cupertino for All.
Louise Saadati
lwsaadati@gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone
From:louise saadati
To:City Clerk; City Council
Subject:Fwd: Xinpei Lu"s Public Comment
Date:Thursday, December 12, 2024 7:17:27 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.
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Xinpei Lu <xinpei.l268@gmail.com>
Date: December 12, 2024 at 6:27:38 PM PST
To: louise saadati <lwsaadati@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Xinpei Lu's Public Comment
A note from a LGBTQ+ youth. My name is Xinpei Lu and I am an alumni of Cupertino
High School. I endorse JR for mayor.It will also be a strong demonstration of
acceptance within the community as if we have JR Fruen become Mayor, he will be
the first gay mayor of Cupertino in a time where LGBTQ+ rights are now more under
attack and uncertain than ever before. He can serve as a role model and inspiration
for many people, especially LGBTQ+ youth who need more reassurance than ever
that they are welcome, loved, and supported in their own communities. Cupertino
has a chance to follow through their own proclaimed value of support for the
community for real, not just on a surface level. As a LGBTQ+ youth who was active
in the community and has constantly attended city council meetings, he has served
as a role model for people and has shown time and again he will go out of way to
support those most in need, even when it wasn’t expected of him to do so.
On Thu, Dec 12, 2024 at 9:20 PM Xinpei Lu <xinpei.l268@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello,
(Thank you for organizing this, here's my public comment)
Hello City Council and staff. My name is Xinpei Lu, and I am an alum of
Cupertino High School.
I believe that JR Fruen would be the best choice for Mayor alongside
Kitty Moore for Vice-Mayor. Be it may be difficult to hear for a lot of people
tonight but aside from the fact that it is customary for the Vice-Mayor to
become the Mayor after term, it would be a strong demonstration that this
City Council is willing to listen to residents of all sides. 57.3% of people who
have voted in this election voted for non Better Cupertino candidates
compared to 43.7%, and this majority we have here tonight was won on such
a narrow margin, it would be foolish not to recognize that the people who
voted for non Better Cupertino candidates still have a strong voice and
presence within the community. Having JR as Mayor would show that this
council values the voices of all sides and is willingly to put aside differences
to work together on the real issues affecting the city. JR is also experienced,
being a former attorney and now has experience on the council and have
worked hard to solve issues plaguing the city, such as finally having our
Housing Element approved by HCD and navigating the lost sales revenue
during CDTFA’s rule change.
It will also be a strong demonstration of acceptance within the
community as if we have JR Fruen become Mayor, he will be the first gay
mayor of Cupertino in a time where LGBTQ+ rights are now more under
attack and uncertain than ever before. He can serve as a role model and
inspiration for many people, especially LGBTQ+ youth who need more
reassurance than ever that they are welcome, loved, and supported in their
own communities. Cupertino has a chance to follow through their own
proclaimed value of support for the community for real, not just on a surface
level. As a LGBTQ+ youth who was active in the community and has
constantly attended city council meetings, he has served as a role model for
people and has shown time and again he will go out of way to support those
most in need, even when it wasn’t expected of him to do so.
So that’s why as an alum of Cupertino High school, I truly believe it is
best to have JR Fruen as Mayor of Cupertino. Thank you for listening, have a
good evening.
CC 12-12-2024
Election and
Oath of Mayor
and Vice Mayor
Written Communications
From:Liang Chao
To:City Clerk
Subject:Written Communication for the 12/12 Council meeting: First Speech as Mayor
Date:Thursday, December 12, 2024 9:43:26 PM
Here is the script I read during the meeting. Please enter it into the written
communication of the 12/12 Council meeting.
Thanks,
Liang
===========
Thank you for your support.
As an introverted engineer who prefers to avoid the spotlight, a series of events
compelled me to step into politics. In 2014, I was told, “It’s no use. It’s a done deal. The
Council doesn’t listen.” But I refused to accept that. This is a democracy, and I felt it was
crucial to speak up for marginalized Cupertino residents—those with 9-to-5 jobs and
young children, like me, who often don’t have the time to attend Council meetings. I
began attending nearly every meeting, advocating on their behalf. Over time, more
residents joined me, and I couldn’t have persevered without the unwavering support of
many dedicated volunteers.
Even after four years of persistent advocacy, the Council still failed to listen to
concerned residents. In 2018, I ran for City Council and was elected, and I was honored
to be re-elected in 2022. I didn’t enter politics out of ambition but out of necessity—
because residents’ voices were being disregarded. Throughout my time in public service,
I have done my utmost to ensure that the concerns of our community are heard and
addressed.
During my first four years on the City Council, from 2019 to 2022, under the leadership of
Mayors Steven Scharf and Darcy Paul, we’ve accomplished a lot:
1. We approved two hotel projects, each with significant community benefits totaling
nearly $2 million.
2. We approved multiple multi-family mixed-use projects with housing and retail,
including Westport (formerly Oaks Shopping Center), Marina Plaza, Canyon
Crossing, and Alan Row (formerly the Bathe Brothers site) as well as the
subdivision of two larger sites for additional single-family homes.
3. We reduced the scope of the community garden at McClellan Ranch, successfully
cutting costs from $5 million to $3 million, and added a satellite garden at Wilson
Park. Both projects have been fully completed.
4. We approved and constructed the library expansion to provide much-needed
programming space, completing the project under budget with mostly grant and
federal funding.
5. We directed the Parks and Recreation Commission to adopt a ranking system for
community grants and expanded the funding categories so we don’t always fund
the same few groups.
6. For the first time ever, we allocated funding for the Historical Society as a separate
budget line item and eventually signed a multi-year grant contract with them.
7. We updated the Commission Handbook to empower chairs to set agendas and
allow commission members to propose their own agenda items, reducing reliance
on staff direction.
8. We adopted pioneering Bird Safe and Dark Sky ordinances to protect wildlife.
9. The pond at Memorial Park, which had been empty since 2023, was replaced with
turf to provide more space for events and sports.
10. We completed the Regnart Creek Trail, opting for a cost-effective unpaved design
while allocating additional funding to address residents’ concerns.
11. We finalized the purchase of Mitty-Lawrence Park from the County and adopted
concept plans for its development.
12. We finished the design of the all-inclusive playground at Jollyman Park.
13. Through the Legislative Review Committee, we took positions against aggressive
state bills such as SB 330 and SB 9, which would reduce local control, increase
density, reduce setbacks, eliminate parking, and negatively impact our quality of
life.
14. Working closely with our state legislators, we submitted funding requests to
expand the Hopper ride-share service and repair aging bridges.
15. The Hopper, formerly Cupertino Via, was launched in 2019. Despite low ridership
and pandemic challenges, the Council sustained the program, eventually securing
state funding to expand it to Santa Clara.
16. We retained a top environmental firm to hold Lehigh Cement accountable for its
pollution and to provide critical feedback on their expansion plans, playing an
important role in their decision to shut down.
17. We hired another top firm to ensure the County Health Department oversees the
environmental cleanup of Vallco, preventing illegal oversight by the developer,
Sand Hill. For the record, no Council actions have delayed the Vallco project, as it
follows SB 35 and does not require Council approval.
18. We purchased the City Hall Annex at the corner of Pacifica and Torre, improving
accessibility and services for residents.
19. We approved the City Hall renovation plan and relocated the Emergency
Operations Center (EOC) to the newly purchased annex.
20. We formed the Economic Development Committee, appointing Cupertino citizens
and business owners to collaboratively create strategic plans to boost tax revenue
and better serve residents.
All of the 20 accomplishments mentioned above were completed during my first four
years on the Council, from 2019 to 2022—two of those years were during the challenging
COVID-19 pandemic. And that is only a partial list of what we achieved.
Interestingly, I’ve noticed that some former mayors who ran in the 2024 election have
taken credit for accomplishments such as the Hopper program and the Lehigh pollution
issue, despite not even being in office during that time. I see this as a sign of approval. I
thank those candidates for not only claiming credit for work they didn’t do but also for
using Better Cupertino talking points in their campaigns to win votes. That’s yet another
sign of approval—thank you.
However, what we accomplish matters far more than campaign promises. When we
prioritize residents and when city staff follow the Council’s direction, we can achieve
great things—just as we did from 2019 to 2022.
Some say Cupertino is divided, but I disagree. I believe everyone agrees they support
housing—as long as high-density projects are located in someone else’s neighborhood.
This sentiment stems from the fact that every neighborhood is already grappling with
congested traffic. Given this, I am confident that most residents oppose a massive
office-heavy project that would bring 10,000 workers into Cupertino daily. Cupertino is,
after all, a community of neighborhoods who value the quality of life.
So why do some people perceive Cupertino as divided in recent years?
Cupertino became divided the moment the 2014 City Council voted past midnight
at 1 a.m. to allocate 2 million square feet of office space to the Vallco Shopping
Mall. This decision was made despite earlier promises to residents that the
meeting would focus solely on the Housing Element. At the same time, they also
removed the height limit. That 2014 City Council included Rod Sinks, Barry Chang,
Gilbert Wong, Savita Vaidhyanathan, and Darcy Paul—who cast the sole
dissenting vote.
Through each revision the 1.2 million square feet of retail space at Vallco Shopping
Mall was progressively reduced—to 600,000 square feet, then to 400,000 square
feet, and finally to just 295,000 square feet, roughly the size of the former Macy’s
at Vallco.
Division in Cupertino was deepened in 2017 when the then City Council refused to
restore the height limit at Vallco or remove the massive office allocation, even
after learning that SB 35 would strip the Council of any decision-making authority.
Former Council members from 2014 to 2018 continued to promote the office-
heavy Vallco project as a solution for revitalizing retail, disregarding the significant
traffic impacts and worsening the office-to-housing balance, which further
deepened divisions within the community.
Cupertino will remain divided if some Council members continue to say one thing
to residents while doing another—for example, advocating for a massive office-
heavy project under the pretense of creating a downtown for Cupertino, all while
claiming that quality of life is a priority.
Moving forward, I hope that all Council members will do what we say to earn
the trust of Cupertino residents when we campaign and when we are in office.
Unfortunately, over the past two years, Cupertino has become more divided, when the
city government is weaponized to fault councilmembers for simply asking questions or
requesting documents. Transparency and accountability were eroded.
For example,
The Legislative Review Committee, which gave Cupertino a voice in pushing back
against aggressive state laws, has been disbanded.
The Economic Development Committee and Environmental Review Committee
have been eliminated.
Plans to renovate City Hall and the City Hall annex have been halted.
The City Council has silenced residents, cut off meaningful deliberation during Council
meetings, and advanced policies driven by consultants—ignoring the very people they
were elected to serve.
One of the most impactful decisions—the Housing Element, which designates 63
housing sites to accommodate 6,200 units—has not been placed on the Council agenda
for public input or deliberation since August 2022. For nearly 16 months, the plan
progressed behind closed doors, despite multiple rounds of comments and revisions
from HCD, until it was largely finalized in April 2024.
In a democracy, the process matters. Public input matters. Deliberation that considers
multiple perspectives matters. Decisions should not be made in isolation, focusing
solely on the outcome.
Residents First. Cupertino City Government must remain of the people, by the people,
and for the people.
As your mayor, I remain committed to transparency, community engagement, and
accountability—guiding values that shape every decision I make. They were also my
campaign promises.
Policymaking is rarely about "right" or "wrong" but about balancing diverse priorities and
perspectives. The best policies often are reached when no one gets everything they
want, but everyone feels heard. Even when the majority can push an item forward, it’s
crucial to pause, listen to minority voices, and foster consensus to build trust. This is
what I have learned from Mayor Darcy Paul.
We may not always agree on every issue—such as the debate over the massive office-
heavy Vallco project—but disagreement on one issue shouldn’t make us enemies. The
strength of Cupertino lies in its diversity, not just in backgrounds and identifies but in
ideas. By embracing this, we create opportunities for progress and innovation.
The election is over; it’s time to move forward. I encourage you to assume positive intent
and take the time to understand others’ perspectives. My challenge to you is this: reach
out to someone you’ve disagreed with, find common ground, and build mutual respect—
even if you ultimately agree to disagree. But now you disagree respectfully.
This is the leadership I pledge to you—one rooted in understanding, collaboration, and
respect. I will ensure we put residents first. The Council makes decisions based on
residents' input and that city staff follow the Council's direction without undue influence
from outside special interests.
Together, let us build a Cupertino where our government embodies the spirit of the
people through genuine transparency, proactive community engagement, and
unwavering accountability.
Thank you.
Liang Chao
Council Member
City Council
LiangChao@cupertino.org
408-777-3192
From:Liang Chao
To:City Clerk
Subject:Written Communication for the 12/12 Council meeting: Speech about the election result
Date:Thursday, December 12, 2024 9:37:14 PM
Here is the script I read during the meeting. Please enter it into the written
communication of the 12/12 Council meeting.
Thanks,
Liang
===========
After being removed from committee assignments, restricted from requesting
information for oversight over the past two years, and subjected to attacks at Council
meetings and in self-proclaimed news outlets, Councilmember Kitty Moore received
significantly more votes, almost 3000 votes, more than other candidates in the 2024
election, including four former mayors. This outcome demonstrates that Cupertino
voters strongly support Moore’s commitment to transparency, fiscal accountability,
environmental protection and sensible growth.
Similarly, begging a first-time candidate, Ray Wang defeated four other former mayors
despite being wrongfully removed from the Planning Commission and targeted by
relentless negative campaigns with false information. This result underscores the
community’s support for Ray’s priorities for Cupertino, public safety, fiscal
accountability and economic development without sacrificing our quality of life.
After two years of turmoil in Cupertino, I am hopeful that, together with Ray Wang and
Kitty Moore, we can finally restore the democratic process, which has been undermined
by reduced transparency and community engagement since 2022.
The campaign promises of nearly all candidates reflect a shared commitment to public
safety, a high quality of life, vibrant retail opportunities, and stronger fiscal
accountability. With the outcome of this election, Cupertino residents are the winners
since the majority of the City Council wishes to put Cupertino residents on top when
making decisions. Congratulations, Cupertino residents.
Liang Chao
Council Member
City Council
LiangChao@cupertino.org
408-777-3192