{"id":12638,"date":"2016-05-05T23:29:23","date_gmt":"2016-05-06T06:29:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/?p=12638"},"modified":"2020-07-04T13:56:00","modified_gmt":"2020-07-04T20:56:00","slug":"different-strokes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/different-strokes\/","title":{"rendered":"DIFFERENT STROKES"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Cupertino Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n#foogallery-gallery-47317.fg-justified .fg-item { margin-right: 2px; margin-bottom: 2px; }\n#foogallery-gallery-47317.fg-justified .fg-image { height: 200px; }<\/style>\n\t\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n#foogallery-gallery-47317_1.fg-justified .fg-item { margin-right: 2px; margin-bottom: 2px; }\n#foogallery-gallery-47317_1.fg-justified .fg-image { height: 200px; }<\/style>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"foogallery foogallery-container foogallery-justified foogallery-lightbox-foogallery fg-justified fg-ready fg-light fg-shadow-medium fg-loading-default fg-loaded-slide-down fg-hover-zoomed fg-caption-always fg-hover-fade fg-hover-eye\" id=\"foogallery-gallery-47317_1\" data-foogallery=\"{&quot;item&quot;:{&quot;showCaptionTitle&quot;:true,&quot;showCaptionDescription&quot;:false},&quot;lazy&quot;:true,&quot;state&quot;:{&quot;enabled&quot;:true,&quot;mask&quot;:&quot;foogallery-{id}&quot;},&quot;template&quot;:{&quot;rowHeight&quot;:200,&quot;maxRowHeight&quot;:300,&quot;margins&quot;:2,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;lastRow&quot;:&quot;smart&quot;}}\" data-foogallery-lightbox=\"{&quot;theme&quot;:&quot;fg-dark&quot;,&quot;thumbs&quot;:&quot;bottom&quot;,&quot;thumbsCaptions&quot;:false,&quot;thumbsBestFit&quot;:false,&quot;thumbsSmall&quot;:false,&quot;thumbsCaptionsAlign&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;info&quot;:&quot;bottom&quot;,&quot;infoVisible&quot;:true,&quot;infoOverlay&quot;:true,&quot;infoAlign&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;transition&quot;:&quot;fade&quot;,&quot;hoverButtons&quot;:false,&quot;fitMedia&quot;:false,&quot;noScrollbars&quot;:true,&quot;preserveButtonSpace&quot;:true,&quot;buttons&quot;:{&quot;fullscreen&quot;:true,&quot;info&quot;:true},&quot;video&quot;:{&quot;autoPlay&quot;:true}}\" style=\"--fg-title-line-clamp: 0; --fg-description-line-clamp: 0;\" >\n\t<div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-09.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"(L-r): Assistant City Manager Aarti Shrivastava, Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan and Public Affairs Director Rick Kitson.\" data-caption-desc=\"(L-r): Assistant City Manager Aarti Shrivastava, Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan and Public Affairs Director Rick Kitson.\" data-attachment-id=\"47318\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-09\" title=\"(L-r): Assistant City Manager Aarti Shrivastava, Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan and Public Affairs Director Rick Kitson.\" height=\"300\" width=\"400\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-09\/308645522.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22400%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">(L-r): Assistant City Manager Aarti Shrivastava, Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan and Public Affairs Director Rick Kitson.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-08.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Cupertino is all one zip code.\" data-caption-desc=\"Cupertino is all one zip code.\" data-attachment-id=\"47319\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-08\" title=\"Cupertino is all one zip code.\" height=\"300\" width=\"400\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-08\/157329076.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22400%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Cupertino is all one zip code.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-07.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Historical mural of Cupertino.\" data-caption-desc=\"Historical mural of Cupertino.\" data-attachment-id=\"47320\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-07\" title=\"Historical mural of Cupertino.\" height=\"300\" width=\"400\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-07\/2565111262.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22400%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Historical mural of Cupertino.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-06.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Cupertino\u2019s original one room school house.\" data-caption-desc=\"Cupertino\u2019s original one room school house.\" data-attachment-id=\"47321\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-06\" title=\"Cupertino\u2019s original one room school house.\" height=\"300\" width=\"225\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-06\/2212582904.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22225%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20225%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Cupertino\u2019s original one room school house.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-05.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Plaque to Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan celebrating the visit from Copertino, Italy.\" data-caption-desc=\"Plaque to Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan celebrating the visit from Copertino, Italy.\" data-attachment-id=\"47322\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-05\" title=\"Plaque to Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan celebrating the visit from Copertino, Italy.\" height=\"300\" width=\"381\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-05\/2934844818.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22381%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20381%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Plaque to Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan celebrating the visit from Copertino, Italy.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-04.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Saint Joseph of Cupertino, where the city gets its name. Patron saint of pilots and test-takers.\" data-caption-desc=\"Saint Joseph of Cupertino, where the city gets its name. Patron saint of pilots and test-takers.\" data-attachment-id=\"47323\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-04\" title=\"Saint Joseph of Cupertino, where the city gets its name. Patron saint of pilots and test-takers.\" height=\"300\" width=\"225\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-04\/3052078516.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22225%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20225%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Saint Joseph of Cupertino, where the city gets its name. Patron saint of pilots and test-takers.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-03.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"A symbolic tree made out of paper clippings from the old building construction plans submitted to the city of Cupertino, which is now going digital and thus saving a lot of trees in the process. (All photos: Amar D. Gupta | Siliconeer)\" data-caption-desc=\"A symbolic tree made out of paper clippings from the old building construction plans submitted to the city of Cupertino, which is now going digital and thus saving a lot of trees in the process. (All photos: Amar D. Gupta | Siliconeer)\" data-attachment-id=\"47324\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-03\" title=\"A symbolic tree made out of paper clippings from the old building construction plans submitted to the city of Cupertino, which is now going digital and thus saving a lot of trees in the process. (All photos: Amar D. Gupta | Siliconeer)\" height=\"300\" width=\"225\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-03\/4109425990.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22225%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20225%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">A symbolic tree made out of paper clippings from the old building construction plans submitted to the city of Cupertino, which is now going digital and thus saving a lot of trees in the process. (All photos: Amar D. Gupta | Siliconeer)<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-02-gettyimages.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"A picture of Apple\u2019s upcoming Spaceship campus shows in the background, as CEO Tim Cook released new products during the March 2016 Apple Special Event in Cupertino, Calif. (John Sullivan | Getty Images)\" data-caption-desc=\"A picture of Apple\u2019s upcoming Spaceship campus shows in the background, as CEO Tim Cook released new products during the March 2016 Apple Special Event in Cupertino, Calif. (John Sullivan | Getty Images)\" data-attachment-id=\"47325\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-02-gettyimages\" title=\"A picture of Apple\u2019s upcoming Spaceship campus shows in the background, as CEO Tim Cook released new products during the March 2016 Apple Special Event in Cupertino, Calif. (John Sullivan | Getty Images)\" height=\"300\" width=\"450\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-02-gettyimages\/1658017409.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22450%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20450%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">A picture of Apple\u2019s upcoming Spaceship campus shows in the background, as CEO Tim Cook released new products during the March 2016 Apple Special Event in Cupertino, Calif. (John Sullivan | Getty Images)<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-01.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Cupertino Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan.\" data-caption-desc=\"Cupertino Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan.\" data-attachment-id=\"47326\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-01\" title=\"Cupertino Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan.\" height=\"300\" width=\"225\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-01\/3271200010.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22225%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20225%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Cupertino Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-10.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Capital improvement projects for Cupertino. Building community.\" data-caption-desc=\"Capital improvement projects for Cupertino. Building community.\" data-attachment-id=\"47327\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-10\" title=\"Capital improvement projects for Cupertino. Building community.\" height=\"300\" width=\"400\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-10\/3464802671.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22400%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Capital improvement projects for Cupertino. Building community.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-12.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Conference Room C, where Apple Campus 2 was negotiated.\" data-caption-desc=\"Conference Room C, where Apple Campus 2 was negotiated.\" data-attachment-id=\"47328\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-12\" title=\"Conference Room C, where Apple Campus 2 was negotiated.\" height=\"300\" width=\"400\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-12\/3434298748.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22400%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Conference Room C, where Apple Campus 2 was negotiated.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-14.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Kitson explains competing community demands on council.\" data-caption-desc=\"Kitson explains competing community demands on council.\" data-attachment-id=\"47329\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-14\" title=\"Kitson explains competing community demands on council.\" height=\"300\" width=\"400\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-14\/3715308611.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22400%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Kitson explains competing community demands on council.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-15.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"The city plan check staff, the busiest people in the city.\" data-caption-desc=\"The city plan check staff, the busiest people in the city.\" data-attachment-id=\"47330\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-15\" title=\"The city plan check staff, the busiest people in the city.\" height=\"300\" width=\"400\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-15\/148372086.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22400%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">The city plan check staff, the busiest people in the city.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-17.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Gift from Cupertino sister city Bhubaneswar, India.\" data-caption-desc=\"Gift from Cupertino sister city Bhubaneswar, India.\" data-attachment-id=\"47331\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-17\" title=\"Gift from Cupertino sister city Bhubaneswar, India.\" height=\"300\" width=\"400\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-17\/2640172467.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22400%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Gift from Cupertino sister city Bhubaneswar, India.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-20.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"City Manager David Brandt and Director of Public Works Timm Borden.\" data-caption-desc=\"City Manager David Brandt and Director of Public Works Timm Borden.\" data-attachment-id=\"47332\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-20\" title=\"City Manager David Brandt and Director of Public Works Timm Borden.\" height=\"300\" width=\"400\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-20\/227909606.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22400%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">City Manager David Brandt and Director of Public Works Timm Borden.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-21.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Mayor Barry Chang and Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan.\" data-caption-desc=\"Mayor Barry Chang and Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan.\" data-attachment-id=\"47333\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-21\" title=\"Mayor Barry Chang and Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan.\" height=\"300\" width=\"400\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-21\/378582976.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22400%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Mayor Barry Chang and Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-11.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Our community needs information. Cupertino radio and TV.\" data-caption-desc=\"Our community needs information. Cupertino radio and TV.\" data-attachment-id=\"47334\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"page-cupertino-11\" title=\"Our community needs information. Cupertino radio and TV.\" height=\"300\" width=\"400\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2018\/01\/page-cupertino-11\/1690524398.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22400%22%20height%3D%22300%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20300%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Our community needs information. Cupertino radio and TV.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<hr \/>\n<p>The city council does many different things that we as residents may not be aware of. There are also issues they cannot address which is quite contrary to what we as residents think is under the city\u2019s purview. <b>Siliconeer<\/b> chats with Cupertino city officials to get their take on some of the mundane and the not-so-mundane issues that residents often face and are still searching for the right answers. In the process, we take a peek at the back office that runs one of world\u2019s most prized tech cities. (#Cupertino, #SiliconValley, #SFBayArea, #Education, #RenewableEnergy, #Housing, #Transportation, #CityCouncil, #PublicWorks)<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>Roots of Cupertino. <\/b>Upon arrival, we were met by Cupertino Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan. She took Siliconeer on a behind-closed-doors tour of the city of Cupertino. As we walked down the hallway, we came across some historic pictures and paintings. Cupertino Public Affairs Director Rick Kitson walked us through the history of Cupertino, named after a Spanish explorer who came to the area in 1776.<\/p>\n<p>Pointing towards a picture, Kitson told us it was the Picchetti Winery, one of the very first wineries in the state and is still in operation producing award-winning wines.<\/p>\n<p>He also referred to Cupertino\u2019s long history with high tech companies including, Varian, Tandem and HP, which was really big in Cupertino, much before Apple.<\/p>\n<p><b>Cheaper Green Power. <\/b>An initiative that Cupertino has been pursuing lately is how to make the power that lights the city\u2019s homes and businesses more green and cheap. \u201cIt\u2019s more of a power brokerage that will immediately, among other things, make the power that people receive, much more green, at least by an order of magnitude,\u201d says Rick Kitson, public affairs director for the city of Cupertino.<\/p>\n<p>When asked if Apple was their probable biggest customer, Kitson said Apple will benefit in its many leased properties around town, but at its larger campuses Apple is big enough to have their own agreements for power. Apple is even generating some of their own power and in their new campus, they will have their own power plant.<\/p>\n<p><i>Is this something similar to how solar companies work where you are generating power in your home and circulating it back into the grid?<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Silicon Valley Clean Energy will purchase energy in the open market on behalf of residential and business customers, essentially countywide, with the exception of San Jose and a few other cities. This will enable SVCE to buy renewable energy in bulk, thus reducing overhead and costs considerably. Right now, renewable energy is at an all-time low in terms of cost. The current utility serving Cupertino is only at 27% renewable energy. A lot more is available at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.Svcleanenergy.org\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">www.Svcleanenergy.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>City Planning. <\/b>Moving on, we came to the planning department. This department scrutinizes the plans for developments in the city. We got a peek at what was coming up in Cupertino in the years to come. The most exciting arguably was the Apple Spaceship campus. We saw plans for some condominiums that were being planned around the Apple Campus II. \u201cThe current application is for 600 additional units,\u201d Cupertino Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan pointed out.<\/p>\n<p>The Apple Campus II is on your right as you go on 280 North towards Sunnyvale.<\/p>\n<p>The plans may be different from the architectural drawings, and that\u2019s where the city council\u2019s work gets very interesting. The picture or drawings will show one thing and what may be in the plans might be something very different. \u201cIt is the city staff and city council that has to make sure that the plans and drawings are in sync and meet community and legal standards,\u201d explained Kitson.<\/p>\n<p><i>There is a lot of discussion about development, with the elections and ballot initiatives, so the Community Development department has been very, very busy. We asked Aarti Shrivastava, Assistant City Manager and Community Development Director about how long it took to approve the Apple Campus.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey first came in, in 2011. Then they went back and changed a few things. They came back in March 2013 with their revised plans and we were at the council by October of 2013,\u201d said Shrivastava.<\/p>\n<p><b>Public Works. What\u2019s coming? <\/b>A whole section with loads of bound paper drawings, we could only imagine how many trees this would take. The city is currently working to make the process paperless. Some of the projects we heard about included bike route enhancements, street paving projects, and a number of storm drain improvements.<\/p>\n<p><i>We asked them about encouraging public transport. How about increasing the use and availability of public transport?<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Kitson said, \u201cThe Valley Transportation Authority is a county agency that is responsible for public transportation throughout the county. However, there are many ways that the city is working to improve public transportation including working closely with neighboring cities. Our council has been a leader on this topic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Up Next: The TV Studio and Tech Center. <\/b>Yes, you read that right. A studio right in the middle of the city council\u2019s offices, complete with editing, broadcasting and viewing equipment. The studio controls the cameras in the city council hall where they have council meetings and the facility is geared towards broadcasting the proceedings live so people can access the city council meetings from the comforts of their living rooms.<\/p>\n<p>The room also hosts an emergency radio station in case of emergencies like an earthquake, and the capability to stream live feeds from the city council meetings, online. The frequency for the radio is 1670 AM.<\/p>\n<p><i>In terms of going Wi-Fi citywide, Google was doing it for Mountain View, does Cupertino have something similar? Is there a fiber-optic network in the works?<\/i><\/p>\n<p>\u201cCupertino had it,\u201d said Kitson. \u201cThe same company that went to Mountain View also served Cupertino. For Mountain View, Google pays for it. For Cupertino, however, when a councilmember asked Steve Jobs at Apple if they were willing to fund the project, Jobs declined the offer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><i>So is Gigabit Internet cabling a part of the city\u2019s work?<\/i><\/p>\n<p>\u201cCupertino is right in Silicon Valley. We have big companies. We had HP and now we have Apple but Comcast was really the only company that really provided almost universal Internet access for residents and businesses. If there are others, we are not aware of them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When asked about healthy competition by bringing in two, three different service providers offering similar Internet service experience, Kitson said he welcomes the idea. \u201cOver the years we have worked very hard to bring companies to town,\u201d he said. \u201cWe tried very hard to get Google Fiber and other companies. Ultimately, the decision is up to the individual business and what works for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAT&amp;T is offering their gigabit service in Cupertino. They are regulated through the California Public Utilities Commission because of their legacy as a phone company. The state enacted a law a few years back where in order to promote Internet access among low-income communities, some legacy Internet service providers cannot expand coverage in affluent communities like Cupertino, without also building out in low-income communities.<\/p>\n<p><i>Do you think more players are coming in to offer better services?<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Kitson agrees. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of dark fiber running through the area including Cupertino. #GoogleFiber has come in to Mountain View, Sunnyvale and San Jose. That has really shaken things up. #Comcast has been working in Cupertino in the last several months to upgrade their switches so they are going to a gigabit network. We had one company come in from Europe that had deployed a lot of fiber. We talked to them quite a bit. We are very interested in how their systems work once they are up and running.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are companies out there and certainly the demand is skyrocketing. For the same areas, AT&amp;T and Verizon are coming back with more cell towers. As people are using more and more devices, and more and more video, the coverage for each cell tower they already have is getting smaller. So, not only is demand increasing, existing infrastructure is providing less service.<\/p>\n<p>We believe more companies will show up, but no one has come through lately. We were glad to see AT&amp;T coming in with fiber, and that was a big improvement. In the western United States, we were the first city to get this service,\u201d said Kitson.<\/p>\n<p><b>The Conference Room. <\/b>This was the room where Apple and the city discussed the Spaceship Campus. A state-of-the-art room, complete with audio-visual equipment and more. Vaidhyanathan and Kitson sat with us as they walked us through the city\u2019s online <b>Interactive Financial Web site<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p><b>Property Taxes. <\/b>Kitson talked about property taxes and how they are applied. He said a lot of property taxes go directly to the schools, which are separate entities. The city of Cupertino gets 7\u00a2 for every dollar for property tax, which is a very small portion. Schools, fire, sewer and many other special districts are a significant portion.<\/p>\n<p><b>Schools. <\/b>Regarding concerns about whether or not there are enough schools, should more schools be built, should schools be bigger or should we not allow more students \u2013 those are all important questions, and none of them are new. Those are all decisions that the school districts study very carefully and they are ultimately responsible for dealing with that issue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEach of our school districts is its own completely independent legal entity with its own board of trustees and superintendent, and I know that they take these issues, very seriously,\u201d said Kitson.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of time people come to the city of Cupertino offices talking about school issues. The city really can\u2019t and doesn\u2019t interfere with that, it\u2019s not our jurisdiction. School board trustees are directly elected by the community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><i>As a city do you take up these concerns of the residents with the school districts?<\/i><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is Cupertino. Education is taken very seriously. If there is a community concern about education, the schools know about it. The city is seldom the first stop. However, we do meet with the school districts regularly and have very good communications with them. We do share information about what\u2019s going on.\u201d said Kitson.<\/p>\n<p>Kitson says the city council wants to help the schools. One of the ways the city does that in Cupertino is that it maintains the fields for the elementary schools. The city pays for the maintenance so the schools don\u2019t have to. This helps the schools save money. The city does this as part of their parks maintenance program. When schools are not using the fields, the city gets to use the school fields for recreation programs. A good example is soccer classes when the schools are closed.<\/p>\n<p>The schools benefit because they save money while the city benefits as it has more park space for its residents to use.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople are coming from all over the world, and we have an incredible concentration of innovative people in Cupertino. So we can\u2019t just sit back and say \u2018Well, this is the way it is.\u2019 No one accepts that in Silicon Valley, or the Bay Area, so that creates a lot of pressure but also a lot of opportunity for all of us in local government,\u201d concluded Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cupertino Vice Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan. The city council does many different things that we as residents may not be aware of. There are also issues they cannot address which is quite contrary to what we as residents think is under the city\u2019s purview. Siliconeer chats with Cupertino city officials to get their take on some&#8230;<\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/different-strokes\/\">Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":12639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[275,4],"tags":[1471,1474,1469,1472,971,606,389,1470,277,86],"class_list":["post-12638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-cover-story","tag-citycouncil","tag-cupertinocitycouncil","tag-housing","tag-publicworks","tag-renewableenergy","tag-sfbayarea","tag-siliconvalley","tag-transportation","tag-cupertino","tag-education"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12638\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}