After hearing angry residents protest over the last year that they did not know how high and dense some of the approved developments were going to be until the projects were done, the city is looking for ways to better let people know about city initiatives and development projects early on in the approval process.

"Obviously, we are not getting the word out," said Mayor Sandy James.

"Until something happens and people love it or don't like it, we don't hear about it. We have to take some responsibility for being proactive. ... If we give them the tools, [the public] can be better informed."

The council tossed around several tools for informing Cupertino residents.

The Internet, a listserv program and publicly displayed images of development projects emerged as the most likely form such public-information tools will take in the future.

A listserv would automatically send messages to everyone in Cupertino who has email and signs up to be on the list. The email could also include a graphic of what the project would look like.

"I like the idea of a listserv," said Council member Dolly Sandoval, and "If we give the public an idea of what a project looks like, that's good for us."

Longtime Cupertino resident Sally Larson said in a telephone interview that she would have loved to attend the meeting. "It's a shame it was scheduled for 4 p.m. on a Tuesday when most people are working," she said. She also said the only reason she knew about the meeting was because she'd attended a planning commission meeting where planning commissioners mentioned it.

But Larson said, "To find out when a meeting is taking place takes some real detective work." She explained that she had to figure out where on the city's website the meeting might be listed, and it took a series of links to get to the information.

Council member Kris Wang also brought up the website at the Aug. 31 meeting. "We already have the information but need to make it more user-friendly," she said, echoing the concerns of citizens who spoke at the meeting. Robert Levy of Cupertino said he felt the website was poorly organized. Wang agreed.

"I would like to see [easier] access," she said, noting that 92 percent of Cupertino residents have Internet access at home.

Finally, Mayor James, who supported the listserv and making pictures available to the public, also advocated more extensive use of the city's cable channel and publication of notification ads in the local Chinese press.

The city council will now consider all of these options, develop a revised notification plan and then schedule a public hearing to discuss its conclusions.

"This is something we are just beginning to discuss," Mayor James said, "and there will be lots more opportunity for (public) input."