The Sunnyvale City Council has a roadmap for the projects the city plans to undertake over the next two years.
At its most recent meeting, the council got a slightly different look at the city’s work plan.
This new perspective, City Manager Tim Kirby said, “grays” the line between council policy and city employees’ execution. Instead of just a high-level view, it attempts to “pull back the curtain to see deeper into the organization,” giving the council insight into the projects city employees are undertaking.
“The framework covers our mission, our core values, our community vision in [the] general fund, and our strategic resources priorities,” Kirby said.
The work plan consists of several pillar goals with a breakout of what each entails: governance, sustainability, community, housing and infrastructure.
Governance includes projects such as data transparency, a streamlined workload, keeping tech up to date, simplifying community event processes and improving internal communications.
Community includes things like community engagement, increasing volunteering, hosting community events, supporting neighborhood associations and promoting inclusion.
Under sustainability are work plans such as the Vision Zero, climate action and transportation plans as well as ensuring sustainable land use.
Homeless prevention, such as the city’s tenant rental support, increasing below-market-rate housing and safe parking are examples in the housing category.
Meanwhile, infrastructure includes things like advancing digital infrastructure such as Wi-Fi in parks, access to broadband, as well as library services and prioritizing infrastructure plans.
Kirby compared the city’s priorities to an iceberg.
“With this work plan, we are starting to be a bit under the water,” he said. “A lot of the community doesn’t realize the city is doing something until something doesn’t go well. A lot of city services you just take for granted. They are part of day-to-day life, until a tree branch falls.”
The 145 items in the work plan are more or less evenly distributed across city departments. Details in the work plan illuminate for the council the moving parts of a given project — city-employee time, external dependencies, cost, timeline and community engagement needed.
Several council members said they would like to be able to see more concrete data in an easy-to-digest format. Overall, the council was pleased with the effort.
Mayor Larry Klein, however, said he would like more of an emphasis on volunteering as it fosters several aspects of the council’s values, most notably community engagement.
“Having [residents] committed or being part of the solution makes them care about the city more,” he said.
Council Member Richard Mehlinger said he was “delighted” with the work plan. It will allow the council to better understand which projects need acceleration and which items might be affected by doing so. He said it will also allow the council to better look for opportunities to “find patterns” and “improve efficiency.”
“It is going to dramatically improve long-term planning, and, I think, it is going to make the tradeoffs when we consider adding new work, it will make it a lot clearer, a lot more concrete,” he said.
The council unanimously approved the work plan.
City Suspends Stray Cat Requirement
The council also suspended its requirement to impound healthy stray cats.
A fire at the Silicon Valley Humane Society last year caused the shelter to be unable to provide animal control services to the city. As a result, the city contracted with the county shelter in Morgan Hill for animal control. However, that shelter is unable to impound healthy stray cats, leaving the city looking for another provider.
Peter Hoang, senior management analyst with the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, told the council the suspension allows city employees time to figure out another solution.
Council Member Alysa Cisneros said she was concerned about the establishment of feral cat colonies in the city.
However, Hoang assured her the suspension simply allows the city some runway to go out to bid for the service in short order. With only two animal control officers in the city, the requirement for dealing with stray cats stretches city resources thin, he added.
Residents who find healthy stray cats can still take it to the shelter and get it spayed or neutered for free. The city also still contracts with a vet in Campbell for after-hours service.
Consent Calendar Spending
The council approved the following spending in one motion via the consent calendar:
- A one-year $416,902 purchase agreement with Santa Clara County for animal shelter services.
- A $389,760 contract with Silicon Valley Paving, Inc. for tennis court reconstruction at Sunnyvale Middle School.
The council meets again at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 6 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave. in Sunnyvale.
To submit public comments ahead of the meeting, visit http://Sunnyvale.ca.gov/PublicComments; Meeting online link: https://sunnyvale-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/96111580540; meeting call-in telephone number: 833-548-0276, meeting ID: 961 1158 0540
Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com
Other Sunnyvale City Council Meetings:
Sunnyvale Council Rejects Variance For Home Office
Sunnyvale Incentivizes Retail Space At Town Centers
Sunnyvale Ups Rental Assistance
