"People have different opinions about the future of Cupertino," said city planner Ciddy Wordell, who coordinates the task force's weekly meeting. "The debates are important because what the task force decides will set the course of development for Cupertino for the next 10 years."

The current General Plan was adopted in 1993. The city council authorized a review of the plan in 2001. When the staff came up with a draft of the General Plan and presented it to the council early this year, the council decided to form a task force to get more public input.

The task force, selected by the city council, is a microcosm of Cupertino. The members represent different interests, professions and ethnicities. They don't all live in Cupertino. Some work in Cupertino, while some live in neighboring cities and their children attend Cupertino schools.

In every meeting, speakers come to the meeting to share their specialties, ranging from finance to education. In one recent meeting, John Hirokawa, captain of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Westside SubStation, did a presentation about law-enforcement services that the sheriff's office provides and explained the city's crime and traffic statistics.

To facilitate discussions, the task force is broken into eight groups. Each group has a group leader and decides on its own discussion style. At the end of the two-hour meeting, group leaders take turns presenting their results.

So far, the task force has had five meetings and members disagree on almost everything.

While some appreciate the opportunity to have a general picture of the city, some are frustrated that they haven't discussed any issue in-depth and that they don't have enough time for debate. Some want to join other groups because their ideas don't resonate with their group members. Some want to have meetings for three more months while some believe deadline pressure brings out the best results.

"In a group as big as this, it is important to listen," said public safety commissioner Nolan Chen. Chen, 31, grew up in Cupertino. "In a public safety commission meeting, we have only five people, so the process is more efficient. But in a group of nine, it is time-consuming and difficult to reach a consensus, especially when the plan we are talking about now will affect everyone in Cupertino."

Group leader Roger Costa said the task force is undergoing phases of development.

"Each group has to go through forming, storming, norming and performing periods," Costa said of Bruce Tuckman's team-development model. "We are still at a mid stage."

Costa describes the discussion process as being like a group of blind men trying to describe an elephant.

"We all look at the General Plan from different perspectives," Costa said. "It takes a coordinated effort to determine what the animal should be."

People who are interested in the draft of the General Plan can visit the city's website at http://www.cupertino.org. They can also attend the General Plan Task Force's meetings every Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Quinlan Community Center.

The General Plan draft

Theme: Building community

Vision: Cupertino aspires to be a balanced community with accessible hillsides and creeks, quiet, attractive residential neighborhoods, exemplary parks and schools and a vibrant mixed-use "Heart of the City." The city will be safe, friendly, connected, walkable and inclusive for all residents, with ample places and opportunities for people to interact and recreate.

Retained goals:

• participation in regional transportation planning

• provide affordable housing

• improve streetscape

New goals:

• more mixed-use development

• less commercial development

• additional housing units to improve job/housing ratio

• increased emphasis on pedestrians and bicycles

Concerns:

• the city's fiscal health

• the impact of new development on the schools

• land use