Liang - Vallco CAC - started out as an under the table deal

From: Liang Chao
Date: Thu, Mar 30, 2017 at 9:46 PM
Subject: Vallco CAC - started out as an under the table deal
To: City Council <citycouncil@cupertino.org>, David Brandt <davidb@cupertino.org>

Dear City Council Members,

The work plan on the April 4 agenda includes this item:

Title: Citizens' Advisory Committee (CAC)

Objective: Community-centered process on a plan for Vallco.

Progress to date:
Pending Council Approval on April 4th to approve a budget amendment to allocate
$1,000,000 (FY16-17) from Capital Reserves to fund a community-centered process on a plan for Vallco and authorize the City Manager to hire consultants as necessary within the budgeted amount.

Next Step: Awaiting council direction

The objective is the "Community-centered process on a plan for Vallco."

Yet, alarmingly, the next step is already "allocating $1 million dollars to the project".

Where was the community-centered process that decided that we even need a Vallco CAC?

How come we are already allocating and approving a budget to a project that the community hasn't weighed in yet. Isn't this how things went wrong in 2015?

Has the question of "how to have a community-centered process" ever been discussed on any city council agenda? Has the question of "whether we need a Vallco CAC" ever been discussed on the city council agenda? What's CAC anyway? How did you allocate a budget before you even discussed what is it?

Please don't allocate $1 million dollars to a project when there has been no discussion on whether such a project is even justified.

Thank you.

Liang Chao

Cupertino resident