REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Quarter One Update for Year 1 of July 2025 - June 2027 Workplan and Dashboard Launch (Information Only)
Report
BACKGROUND
At the Council Strategic Priorities Workshop on March 13, 2025, Council set five (5) draft strategic priorities that will guide the City for the next two years (the two-year period will better align with election cycles and resource planning efforts), as follows:
In the next two years, we are taking active steps to create…
1. A responsive, transparent, and efficient city government;
2. An accessible, engaged and welcoming community;
3. A sustainable city: advancing climate action, active transportation and the Vision Zero Plan;
4. A model to prevent homelessness, prioritize new housing, and support the unhoused community; and
5. Modern City infrastructure.
On April 22, 2025, Council approved the Council Strategic Framework and July 2025-June 2027 Council Strategic Priorities and received the associated Workplan. The Workplan was developed to include Council-directed priority projects (formerly reported on as Study Issues), key projects formerly reported on as “Top 30” projects, as well as significant Department-driven projects that align with Council Strategic Priorities.
Resources allocated to implementing some Workplan items were included in the FY 2025/26 budget process, with budget adoption on June 17, 2025.
This report provides Workplan Updates from the first quarter (July - September) for FY2025-2026.
EXISTING POLICY
General Plan, Chapter 2: Community Vision
DISCUSSION
The Workplan serves as a clear list of priority initiatives requiring significant staff resources from July 2025 through June 2027. It encompasses efforts to implement Council-adopted and State-mandated plans (e.g., Housing Element, Active Transportation Plan, Climate Action Playbook), major capital improvement projects (including many projects formerly reported on as “Top 30” projects), Study Issues (“Council Priority Projects”), and other substantial initiatives that demand considerable staff time or enhanced focus over the two-year period.
The Workplan only captures significant efforts supporting the Council’s Strategic Priorities. It does not reflect many day-to-day services provided by staff, which are reported separately on an annual basis and documented within robust performance and workload indicators in the City’s adopted budget.
Workplan Dashboard
Staff developed a visually accessible online reporting tool to share information about the progress of projects in the Workplan. The City has transitioned away from the current Knack tool used for Study Issues (“Council Priority Projects”) and Top 30 reporting, consolidating progress updates into the Workplan. This approach will improve transparency for the Council and community while aligning staff reporting to one unified list of priority initiatives.
The Dashboard includes first quarter (Q1) updates for all 146 Workplan projects. No projects have been added this quarter; however, staff will consider adding new projects in the future such as Council’s requested follow-up to the Village Center Master Plan, and significant impacts from new state laws requiring City response. If additional projects are added, the City Manager may recommend eliminating or deferring other projects to ensure sufficient staff capacity to address highest priority items. The Workplan Dashboard can be viewed on the City’s website under “Your Government” (Attachment 1).
Q1 FY2025-2026 (July - Sept) Summary Update
Staff have made substantial progress advancing key initiatives across all five Council Strategic Priorities - Responsive Government, Housing Solutions, Welcoming Community, Sustainable City, and Modern Infrastructure.
These highlighted projects represent technology upgrades, policy initiatives, infrastructure investments, and community programs that align with Council’s Strategic Priorities. Many are multi-year efforts designed to modernize internal systems, enhance public transparency, promote housing affordability, advance environmental sustainability, and improve public infrastructure and accessibility. The following is a partial list of notable projects in each strategic area, with full updates available in the dashboard.
Responsive Government (GO)
These projects reflect ongoing investments in technology modernization, process efficiency, and improved transparency.
• GO-1: Replace Knack Reporting Tool: Developing a more robust system to improve reporting and visualization across the city’s strategic workplan.
• GO-7: Expand Electronic Payments: Increasing automated vendor payments and reducing manual check processing.
• GO-9: Budget Document Redesign: Creating a more reader-friendly, visual annual budget publication.
• GO-25: Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) Replacement: New configuration phase underway to improve emergency response coordination.
• GO-26: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools for Efficiency: Piloting AI for automating staff reports and document preparation.
• GO-29: City Charter Review: Committee and public engagement underway to assess and propose updates to the City Charter.
Housing Solutions (HO)
These projects target policy mechanisms and financial incentives to address affordability and housing diversity.
• HO-3: Prepare a Strategic Plan that Addresses Homelessness: Exploring a plan to frame and coordinate homeless services.
• HO-13: New Affordable Housing Funding Mechanisms: Pursuing Prohousing Incentive and Local Housing Trust Fund opportunities.
• HO-22: Encourage Missing Middle Housing: Integrating code updates to expand housing types within code retooling project.
Sustainable City (SU)
These projects highlight visible climate action, mobility, and waste-reduction efforts aligned with the Climate Action Playbook.
• SU-3: SMaRT Station Post-2021 Rebuild: Implementing a facility rebuild to modernize waste processing and improve operational efficiency.
• SU-13: Reusable Foodware Grants for Restaurants: Launching a grant program to help local businesses transition away from single-use plastics.
• SU-23: Poplar Avenue Sidewalk Study: Designing new pedestrian infrastructure to improve safety and connectivity.
• SU-27: Stevens Creek Trail Extension (W. Remington to W. Fremont Ave.): Advancing design and environmental work to extend the regional trail network.
Welcoming Community (CO)
These projects strengthen civic identity, accessibility, and engagement with diverse communities.
• CO-11: Orchard Heritage Park & Museum Operations: Continuing community outreach and feasibility analysis for future site development.
• CO-12: Heritage Resource Inventory Update: Surveying historic resources related to technological innovation and local history.
Modern Infrastructure (IN)
Infrastructure work remains a major focus area: improving accessibility, resilience, and community facilities.
• IN-4: ADA & Pedestrian Infrastructure Prioritization: Expanding curb ramp construction and compliance efforts.
• IN-10: Lakewood Branch Library and Learning Center: Construction of an approximately 20,000 square foot branch library facility in the Lakewood Village neighborhood of Sunnyvale.
• IN-12: Clean Water Program Construction: Multi-year construction project, with part of the project completing in 2026 and the rest by January 2029. Phase 2, including Solids Handling construction, starts in early 2026
• IN-21: Street Resurfacing: 2025 slurry projects substantially complete, with new segments planned.
Staff completed the following 10 projects since Workplan development (including completions in Q1). There are an additional 6 projects with anticipated or actual completions in October 2025:
|
Project ID |
Project Name |
Lead Dept |
Completion Date |
|
CO-17 |
Disability Awareness Program |
DPS |
June 2025 |
|
GO-6 |
Amend Municipal Code and purchasing policy to provide greater purchasing flexibility |
FIN |
September 2025 |
|
GO-18 |
Evaluate Refunding 2017 Water and Wastewater Revenue Bonds |
FIN |
September 2025 |
|
HO-16 |
Establish procedures for granting Infrastructure Priority for Affordable Housing |
CDD |
August 2025 |
|
IN-15 |
Corn Palace Park Development |
DPW |
June 2025 |
|
IN-23 |
Library Services Study Session |
LRS |
July 2025 |
|
SU-1 |
Climate Budgeting |
ESD |
August 2025 |
|
SU-4 |
Pedestrian and Bicycle Facility Installation on Tasman Drive from Fair Oaks Avenue to Lawrence Expressway (study completed) |
DPW |
July 2025 |
|
SU-8 |
Develop the Village Center Master Plan |
CDD |
July 2025 |
|
SU-25 |
Bernardo Ave. Undercrossing project (City’s environmental clearance completed; Service Agreement with Caltrain executed; Project handed over to Caltrain to begin preliminary design analysis) |
DPW |
July 2025 |
The next quarterly update will be provided in January 2026.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council meeting agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board at City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Public Library and in the Department of Public Safety Lobby. In addition, the agenda and this report are available at the City Hall reception desk located on the first floor of City Hall at 456 W. Olive Avenue (during normal business hours), and on the City's website.
Staff
Prepared by: Michelle Zahraie, Senior Management Analyst
Reviewed by: Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Tim Kirby, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Workplan Dashboard