Budget Before Spending - Civic Center Master Plan by Liang

From: Liang C
Date: Tue, Jul 7, 2015
Subject: Budget Before Spending
To: City Council <citycouncil@cupertino.org>

Dear Mayor Sinks, Vice Mayor Chang and Council Members,   With an annual budget of $89 million, spending $53 million to rebuild the Civic Center without a financial plan is irresponsible. If you are expecting to pay for these with millions donated by developers to get their projects approved or exceptions on the General Plan granted, that's even more irresponsible.   Hamptons already expressed that they will donate $7 million to the Civic Center. I figured that you are expecting Marina and Oaks and other developers to pick up a few millions here and there. However, every million dollar spent on the Civic Center is one million that could have been spend elsewhere to fix the public safety problems, like more police and more crossing guards, to provide much needed city services or even to fund school facilities and fix traffic problems that our residents are experiencing every day.    Since the new General Plan puts Cupertino on a path of urbanization, the City should be a model to pioneer efforts to transform us to an urban city. This whole project started because 40 more parking spaces is needed. Just release 40 of the about 150 the reserved permit parking spaces around the library. The city staff should be encouraged to take the alternative mode of transportation, as promoted by the new General Plan. And the city can encourage the staff to park in other parking lots and provide shuttle buses or encourage biking.

  The new Civic Center goes against the very principal of modern Cupertino, where you are promoting less vehicle traffic and encouraging biking, walking and taking public transportation. Please set a goal to encourage 50% of the staff to take alternative modes of transportation. Then, we don't need a new Civic Center at all.   If your kid wants to buy a new bike which is worth $500 when your kid only has $300 allowance a year, what would you tell your kid? If your kid expects to pay for the new bike by sweet talking his uncles and aunts for donation to pay for the new bike, what would you tell your kid? Please do not set a wrong example for our kids. Please budget before spending. And please pick a more affordable bike within our annual budget and do not expect to pay for an expensive bike using gift money, which does not exist yet.

Sincerely,Liang-Fang ChaoCupertino Resident