Cupertino council adopts amended procedures manual, accepts Moss Adams policy inventory work and confirms two new strategic goals

The Cupertino City Council voted to adopt changes to its council procedures manual, accepted the results of an internal policy inventory and gap analysis prepared with Moss Adams, and confirmed new strategic goals for environmental sustainability and fiscal strategy.

Procedures manual vote: Councilmember Moore moved adoption of a resolution to reaffirm amendments to the city’s council procedures manual (recorded in the meeting as “resolution number 25-021, reaffirming amendments to the Cupertino City Council Procedures Manual”). The motion carried; the meeting transcript records dissenting votes recorded in the minutes. The council discussion leading up to the vote included debate about council members’ ability to make public-records-act (PRA) requests, the operational burden of PRAs on staff, and the need to preserve members’ rights to access public records. One member asked that the record clarify that PRAs remain available to council members, arguing for parity with other public agencies; another member pressed staff on the operational strain that frequent PRA filings cause.

Policy inventory and administrative policies: The council received a Moss Adams report summarizing a citywide administrative policy inventory and proposed gap analysis for seven departments. Moss Adams presented methodology and noted the law-enforcement contract policies were not included because the sheriff follows county policies. After public comment and council discussion, the council approved staff’s recommendation to receive the report and authorized Moss Adams to include the council-policy gap analysis in the fiscal year 2025–26 internal audit program. Council also approved a substitute motion to provide council members confidential access to the city’s compiled administrative policies (staff later explained a secure digital option would be used). The substitute motion carried and was recorded in the minutes; the transcript shows council debate about balances between transparency and operational/security concerns.

Strategic goals and city work program: Council confirmed recommended language for two new city strategic goals — environmental sustainability and fiscal strategy — and discussed a consolidated two-year work program drawn from a council workshop. The council debated consolidation, scope and timing of items; the mayor proposed a consolidation motion that the council later adopted following discussion and a roll-call vote recorded in the minutes. Councilmembers exchanged suggestions about removing or combining projects and asked staff to return with refined scopes and resource estimates during the budget process and a mid-year check-in.

Other governance actions: As part of the policy-item discussion, the council directed staff to provide confidential access (secure digital or in-person viewing) to the city’s compiled administrative policies for council review, with staff and the city attorney noting security and workload considerations. Council members also instructed staff to circulate existing public audit and administrative reports on request, and to ensure audit-page links and documents are accessible to the public.

Votes at a glance: - Resolution adopting amended Council Procedures Manual (resolution 25-021): motion carried; the transcript notes dissenting council votes were recorded (identified in the public record). (See provenance below.) - Acceptance of Moss Adams administrative policy inventory and authorization to include a council-policy gap analysis in the FY25–26 internal audit program: motion carried; council also approved confidential access to administrative policies for council members (substitute motion carried). (See provenance below.) - Confirmation of two new council strategic goals (environmental sustainability and fiscal strategy): motion carried unanimously with one member absent, per the meeting record.

Council members and staff agreed to refine project descriptions and timelines and to consider further consolidations during the upcoming budget cycle. The meeting record shows council asked staff to present a finalized two-year work program for adoption with the fiscal-year budget.