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In This Issue
New Health Order Effective for Santa Clara County along with Move into Yellow Tier of State's Blueprint
On Wednesday, May 19, Santa Clara County entered the Yellow Tier of the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
The County also issued a new Health Order that went into effect on May 19. The new Order establishes focused safety measures designed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Many of the previous restrictions are no longer in effect. The new Order requires employers to determine who in a workplace has been fully vaccinated in order to comply with current and anticipated County and State rules related to COVID-19 safety in the workplace.
The new Order replaces the prior restrictions on activities with a few focused requirements related to vaccination, face coverings, and case reporting. They include:
- Requiring that all businesses and governmental entities determine the vaccination status of their employees (and onsite contractors and volunteers).
- Requiring all individuals, businesses, and governmental entities to comply with the Mandatory Directive on Use of Face Coverings.
- Requiring businesses and governmental entities to comply with the Health Officer’s Mandatory Directive for Unvaccinated Personnel.
- Requiring businesses and governmental entities to continue to promptly report COVID-19 cases amongst their personnel to the Public Health Department, and that all youth programs (including schools, camps, sports programs, and other youth programs) continue reporting COVID-19 cases, as explained in the Mandatory Directive on Case Reporting by K-12 Schools, Youth Athletic Programs, and Other Youth Programs.
No Longer Required:
- Maximizing telework work is no longer required: Businesses are no longer required to maximize the number of people who work remotely.
- Social Distancing Protocols are no longer required: Businesses and governmental entities are no longer required to submit Social Distancing Protocols to the County Public Health Department. Instead, they must comply with any State rules applicable to their business, including the Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Prevention Regulations applicable to most businesses.
- The local Mandatory Directive on Capacity Limitations has been eliminated: There are no local rules related to capacity. For information on what is allowed in counties in the Yellow Tier, see the State Blueprint for a Safer Economy and the State’s Industry Guidance to Reduce Risk webpage.
Face Coverings: An Overview (State and County Updated Face Covering Rules)
Not all members of our community are vaccinated, and face coverings remain a critical tool in protecting our community against the spread of COVID-19. However, as more community members get vaccinated, the CDC and California Department of Public Health have updated their guidance about the use of face coverings. You must wear a face covering whenever required to do so by the State’s face covering rules. This includes:
Outdoors:
- Unvaccinated people are required to wear face coverings outdoors any time physical distancing cannot be maintained.
- Fully vaccinated people* are not required to wear face coverings outdoors except when attending crowded outdoor events.
Indoors:
In indoor settings outside of your home, including public transportation, face coverings are still required regardless of vaccination status with limited exceptions:
- Fully vaccinated people can spend time with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physically distancing; and
- Fully vaccinated people can spend time with unvaccinated people from a single household (including children) who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physically distancing.
- These exceptions do not apply in workplace settings.
When in doubt, you are encouraged to wear a face covering.
*Remember: You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving a completed vaccination series, which is two doses for Pfizer or Moderna and one dose for Johnson & Johnson.
Businesses must post signs stating that a face covering is required when you are at their facilities. They must also require their employees to wear face coverings while working.
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Vallco Median Landscape Improvements Completed
The City of Cupertino's Public Works Department is proud to announce the revitalization of the landscaped medians along Vallco Parkway.
The previous landscape was sparsely planted and had an inefficient irrigation system that regularly overirrigated the median, wasting precious waster resources. The newly installed landscape was carefully selected along with the careful selection of plants. The City chose plants that could tolerate the extreme heat conditions of a roadway median, such as the island effect where extreme heat builds up from the asphalt and heavy exhaust exposure exists.
The newly installed irrigation system can be controlled remotely from a computer or any smart mobile device. The system consists of a flow sensor and master valve that will shut off the water in the event of a waterline break, thus saving water from going down the storm drain.
Additional installations of efficient landscapes have been successfully completed throughout the City as well, most visibly on Stevens Creek Boulevard from Stern Avenue to Stelling Boulevard.
City's Electronic Plan Check Review System Upgrade
The City of Cupertino went live with an updated version of ProjectDox, an enterprise application for electronic plan check review. City staff, residents, contractors, and other applicants use this system to submit development plans online.
The upgrade features an enhanced experience providing users with easy step-by-step instructions for performing file uploads, resubmissions, and downloads of approved plans. In addition, there are instructional videos conveniently located throughout the online plan review process that provide additional guidance for users. Other features include color coded file names to communicate the state of each file (new file, new version, or duplicate file) and a centralized reviewer comments and corrections field in the portal.
 Users can now dynamically open review comment markups and be automatically zoomed in to the specific markup comment location, along with an applicant response field. This will allow users to easily enter their response while viewing markup comments from City staff.
Overall, this upgrade involves a fully updated user interface, updated workflows, clean and simple email templates, and additional plan check features for the City's plan check reviewers. This software upgrade will provide enhanced capabilities to Cupertino residents, contractors, and other users when interacting with City staff about their development plan check review and related tasks.
For more information on this upgrade, email applications@cupertino.org.
Drought Resources and Water Conservation
The City of Cupertino has received an increasing number of feedback from concerned residents and businesses as forecasts for another drought season are increasing awareness of dry conditions.
Currently, there are no mandatory water use restrictions. However, Santa Clara Valley Water District's (Valley Water) Board of Directors voted to ask Santa Clara County residents and businesses to conserve more water. Board members also unanimously approved an increase to the Landscape Rebate Program by an additional $1 per square foot, starting on July 1.
Valley Water Board Vice Chair Gary Kremen has offered to join groups or organizations to discuss conservation programs. For scheduling, email info@valleywater.org.
The Cupertino Green Team has compiled the following information to help with water conservation:
Join the Cupertino Youth Activity Board
Recruitment for the Cupertino Youth Activity Board (YAB) is now open! Incoming eighth through eleventh graders are invited to apply to become part of the volunteer leadership group that plans events for the youth and teens of Cupertino. YAB members collaborate with the Cupertino Parks and Recreation Department to make their visions a reality and cultivate their leadership, time management, teamwork, and active communication skills in the process.
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, June 18 with interviews tentatively scheduled for June 28 and 29, if needed. The application may be found by clicking here. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to visit the Cupertino Youth Activity Board website.
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First Environmental Day Event of 2021 Held Last Month
The first Environmental Recycling Day and Shred It Event of 2021 was held on Saturday, April 17 at Recology's South Bay Facility in San Jose. This event is typically held quarterly, but was postponed throughout 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions.
The event is held in partnership with Recology to offer Cupertino residents a free opportunity to shred confidential documents and dispose of other unwanted materials for responsible reuse and recycling. Accepted items include yard trimmings, kitchen appliances, universal waste (batteries and compact fluorescent light bulbs), construction and demolition debris, and electronic waste. Donatable items were not accepted at this event due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and precautions.
Over 180 residents participated in this event, resulting in a total of 17,750 pounds of material collected and over 3,000 pounds of documents for shredding.
The event is typically held at De Anza College, but the campus has remained closed to the public. The next event is scheduled for August 21, with location yet to be determined.
Senior Center Volunteer Recognition
The Cupertino Senior Center recognized and celebrated 234 dedicated members who volunteered more than 24,300 hours of volunteer service in 2019 with a two-part celebration.
The Cupertino Senior Center recognized and celebrated 234 dedicated members who volunteered more than 24,300 hours of volunteer service in 2019 with a two-part celebration.
The first part of the celebration was a drive-through on Friday, April 16 and Monday, April 19 for volunteers to pick up celebration bags. |
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The second part was a virtual celebration on Monday, April 26 where many volunteers had the opportunity to see each other for the first time in over a year. |
The City of Cupertino thanks the many volunteers who gave their time and efforts to serve the community.
Gems of Cupertino
The City of Cupertino celebrated Small Business Week by holding the first “Gems of Cupertino” treasure hunt from May 1 through May 9.
Each participating business had a hidden gem for participants to find. |
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Every gem found entered participants into a raffle to win one of 11 gift certificates of up to $50 to local businesses. |
More than 70 Cupertino businesses participated and 1,260 entries were submitted.
Former Cupertino Mayors Receive Walk-Bike Cupertino Awards
Two former Cupertino mayors have been recognized for their commitment, support, and advocacy of bicycle and pedestrian improvements throughout the City of Cupertino.
Former councilmembers Rod Sinks and Steven Scharf received awards from Walk-Bike Cupertino, a local organization that works to identify and support safe, easy bicycling and walking routes for the community.
Sinks received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his support of alternative transportation throughout the past ten years. Scharf received the Cupertino Advocate of the Year Award for his support of walking and biking projects during his tenure on the Cupertino City Council from 2016 to 2020.
Read the full article here.
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City Communications Regarding COVID-19
The City of Cupertino continues to monitor the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) as the safety of our residents remains our highest priority. All City facilities remain closed until further notice. While City Hall is closed to the public, the City continues to provide essential services online at cupertino.org and by phone at (408) 777-3200. These essential services include responding to 311 requests and maintaining the City’s infrastructure, among others. For detailed and up-to-date information regarding COVID-19, visit U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Santa Clara County Public Health Department.
The City continues to provide essential services by phone or online. Find more details here.
City Hall Contact Information
*Please note some lines may be unattended from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
The Scene
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month! This month's Scene honors and celebrates the AAPI individuals who are community leaders, small business owners, and influencers who helped shape Cupertino into what it is today.
Download and read at cupertino.org/scene.
Upcoming Agenda Items and Law Enforcement
View attachments here, which include the City Council agenda forecast through July 20 and the Sheriff’s weekly reports for May 10 – May 23.
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