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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-22 Council Appointed Officers Committee Summary MinutesCOUNCIL APPOINTED OFFICER COMMITTEE SUMMARY MINUTES Page 1 of 8 Special Meeting September 22, 2025 The Council Appointed Officers Committee of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Community Meeting Room and by virtual teleconference at 4:00 p.m. Present In-Person: Burt, Stone (Chair), Veenker Present Virtually: None Absent: None Call to Order Chair Stone called the meeting to order. The clerk called roll and declared all were present. Public Comments 1. Sven T. spoke of emissions from gas stoves being harmful to health and suggested public service announcements to educate the public on the chemistry and that there be a rebate program. 2. Herb B. noted that Rosh Hashanah starts at sunset on September 22 and requested continuing the meeting at the end of the 10-day period and that Jewish holidays be taken into account when scheduling meetings. 3. Jennifer (Zoom) supported Herb B’s comments. Chair Stone announced that every effort will be made to finish the meeting before 7 p.m. Agenda Items 1. Executive recruitment process review for Council Appointed Office (City Attorney) including interviews and recommended selection of executive recruitment firm and SUMMARY MINUTES Page 2 of 8 Sp. Council Appointed Officers Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 09/22/2025 feedback on recruitment content and process, with recommendation to City Council for approval Human Resources Director Sandra Blanch commented that proposals from 3 highly skilled executive recruitment firms had been reviewed. The recruiters have been invited to answer follow-up questions. Staff will also present the content of the draft brochure for the Committee to begin deliberations. Assistant Human Resources Director Nicholas Raisch voiced that there will be public interviews with 2 executive recruitment firms for the purpose of sourcing candidates and aiding in the selection of the next City attorney. A memo was provided with the updated timeline of the process as well as answers to some initial questions from discussions that occurred on September 9. There is also a draft set of content for a potential advertising brochure, which will be discussed. At this meeting, Bob Murry & Associates and Teri Black & Co. will provided overviews of their proposals and answer questions from the Committee. He outlined the process for the meeting. The brochure is for content discussion only, not a final product, and meant to provide overall high-level guidance for the Committee to consider. It will not replace individual stakeholder engagement that the selected firm will do, which will include one-on- one meetings with Council members. Vice Mayor Veenker asked why the third recruiter is not in attendance. Assistant Director Raisch responded that Peckham & McKenney had prior engagements that prevented them from attending. They still have an interest in being considered. Public Comment 1. Herb B. stated he sent a letter, which is included in public letters. He expressed that it would be helpful to indicate in public records and the recruitment brochure the KPIs for Council appointees, and he requested that it be available to and discussed with the applicants and interviewees. 2. Jennifer (Zoom) mentioned that she sent a written comment regarding who leads on legal and quasilegal issues on projects where other City departments are involved and a written comment to the Finance Committee concerning KPIs. She explained why she considers both to be one in the same. She wants it to be clear who is responsible for what. Bob Murray & Associates Valerie Philips provided a background on the firm and spoke of recent work they had done. They average about 12 to 14 weeks for an executive recruitment, meet with all stakeholders in the beginning of the process, and write a summary report. She had provided the Committee with a detailed timeline of the milestones. A search usually goes live within 2 weeks of the kickoff meeting, is usually live for about 5 weeks, and a weekly update is SUMMARY MINUTES Page 3 of 8 Sp. Council Appointed Officers Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 09/22/2025 provided to the point of contact. They have more than 50,000 followers on social media, and a newsletter goes out to about 7,000 people twice a month. Once the recruit closes, they run public records on the top candidates. They average about 25 applicants for city attorneys. She will provide updates and discuss the recommended candidates and the candidates not recommended, provide public records if applicable, and provide a full applicant list with resumes and cover letters. A questionnaire, based on what she hears from clients in the kickoff meeting, will be included with every recruitment conducted. It will also include questions HR is not allowed to ask, such as salary expectations, if a person lives nearby, etc. She will also be involved with the final round of interviews, references, background checks, and negotiations. The process takes 12 to 16 weeks. Vice Mayor Veenker spoke of the City attorney being a distinct position, and she asked what implications that will have on the search, what city attorneys are looking for, how Palo Alto can attract the best talent, and if there will be a panel of sitting city attorneys participate in the screening of applicants. Bob Murray & Associates Philips answered that she has many contacts. She attends and speaks at the lawyer conference through the League every year. Knowing the core values of the City and Council is important. She ensures that outreach represents diversity. It is important to know what candidates the City is open to. Like all firms, they place ads and put out brochures, but they do outreach very well. She wants to ensure an applicant’s values, mission, and experience align with Palo Alto. City attorneys want to know how Council gets along and how they treat staff, and they watch council meetings to determine that. Compensation in the Bay area is competitive. Candidates care about the opportunity as it relates to the scope of work. They recently had a panel of sitting city attorneys participate in screening applicants for the City of Livermore. That can be built into the first or the final round of interviews. If it occurs in the first round of interviews, it tends to be in closed session with Council due to confidentiality. She explained how it can possibly be negative for current city attorneys who are number 2 candidates. Councilmember Burt inquired how candidates are identified or brought into the pool and if peers from other neighboring agencies/city attorneys might be in the interview meeting with Council. Their brochure notes that the strongest candidates are often those who are successful and content in their current positions and need to be sold on a new opportunity, and he queried if there will be outreach to the candidates from that database. Bob Murray & Associates Philips stated, regarding identifying or brining candidates into the pool, that they have a strong LinkedIn presence, belong to bar associations, and are followed by affinity groups. They have their own searchable database of over 45,000 applicants in general. They do ads and mail brochures. Peers from other neighboring agencies/city attorneys are not usually in the interview meeting with Council. It would be set up with 2 panels. If that group is included, it can be done however Council wants it to be done. Each stakeholder interview would be separate from Council. They reach out to candidates who are successful and content SUMMARY MINUTES Page 4 of 8 Sp. Council Appointed Officers Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 09/22/2025 in their current positions because they are not necessarily looking at ads, etc., to see the posted city attorney positions. Chair Stone questioned how the cost of living factor goes into their search and the conversations they will have with applicants outside the area. He asked her to elaborate on her comments about the search for the Santa Clara attorney being challenging. Bob Murray & Associates Philips answered that she asks applicants what homework they have done on the cost of living in the Bay area and why they are applying to the area. She discussed the search for the Santa Clara attorney being challenging due to chaos happening with their council and searching for a city attorney and city manager at the same time. It had nothing to do with it being a complex city. Vice Mayor Veenker asked her what she would say to applicants about Palo Alto to entice them. Bob Murray & Associates Philips replied that she is familiar with Palo Alto and its climate and housing goals, etc., which will be attractive to the right candidates. She gets to know her candidates personally and what drives them. Teri Black & Co. Teri Black provided a background on the company. Palo Alto has been a client since 2012. Suzanne Mason, Palo Alto’s former assistant city manager, will be her partner on the recruitment. The process will include speaking with Council members to get input on the candidate profile and priorities. She apologized for the error in the proposal that stated they would work closely with the City manager. She recognizes it is a Council-appointed position, and they will work closely with the Committee and in partnership with HR. She is interested in speaking with City Attorney Molly Stump. Fit is important, so it is paramount to have conversations with each member of the executive team. They will produce an electronic and a printed recruitment brochure. Recruitment would be open for about a month to conversate with potential candidates. They do physical mailings, emails, and phone calls. They spend much time on LinkedIn and attend the League Conference. They have a strong network in the space. After the recruitment closes, they screen applicant materials and do screening interviews, which typically takes 2 to 3 weeks. Then they will return to Council with a written report and their recommendations of finalists to move forward. They help facilitate Council interviews, prepare all the materials, help with deliberation to the extent possible, and handle negotiations, background, reference checking, etc. The process can take 4 to 5 months, but it may not take that long. They recruited an assistant city attorney for Palo Alto in 2021 and many other recruitments since then. They will not just look to municipal government for potential candidates but also tap into the private law firms serving local government. Much time is spent with candidates to ensure they have good experience. They want all applicants to feel great about Palo Alto even if they do not get the job. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 5 of 8 Sp. Council Appointed Officers Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 09/22/2025 Councilmember Burt inquired who they have worked with in the last few years for chief legal counsel positions, if they deal with non-cities that are government agencies, and if there is an opportunity to find candidates who find challenges attractive. Teri Black & Co. Black answered that they were retained by the City of Redwood City to do an assistant city attorney recruitment. Last spring they completed an assistant city attorney recruitment for Burlingame, a deputy city attorney and 2 assistant city attorneys for Santa Clara in December 2024, an assistant city attorney in Milpitas in 2023, and a city attorney in Mountain View in 2021, etc. They do special districts for general managers, assistant general managers, and executive directors. They have not done legal counsel for a special district yet. There is an opportunity to find candidates who find challenges attractive. When recruiting for Palo Alto, they typically seek candidates who are ambitious and want to challenge themselves. Vice Mayor Veenker queried if Suzanne Mason had worked with City Attorney Stump, how they will attract the best lawyer, what lawyers desire in a job, if Palo Alto has attributes that will be an asset or a hurdle in attracting candidates, and what Palo Alto might accomplish by using a panel of city attorneys. Teri Black & Co. Black replied that Suzanne Mason and City Attorney Stump worked together for about 15 months. Ms. Mason was also the lead recruiter on the assistant city attorney recruitment. As for what lawyers desire in a job, they do not want to be bored and they want a diverse portfolio of challenges and priorities. They are also interested in a council being engaged, passionate, and interested and opportunities to work with outside counsel when appropriate. Personal interest will differ candidate by candidate. As for Palo Alto’s attributes that will be an asset or a hurdle in attracting candidates, people either love or are challenged by the level of community engagement and how well informed the community is. They will screen for candidates who will be comfortable with or can embrace that. Concerning using a panel of city attorneys, confidentiality is important, and the more folks involved in a process the more confidentiality is at risk and there is a higher degree of risk of losing good candidates. Their goal is to bring the strongest, most impressive pool of applicants to choose from. The bigger the process, the chances of retaining awesome candidates throughout the process diminishes a little. Vice Mayor Veenker wondered if it might be worth taking the risk in order to have peers evaluate technical skills. Teri Black & Co. Black responded that she is not 100-percent opposed to it. Chair Stone questioned if they proactively reach out to those who are not applying but might have an interest. Teri Black & Co. Black answered that proactively reaching out to those who are not applying is typically how they find the best candidates. The best candidates are working hard and busy and not necessarily looking for a job, which is why they do a multiprong approach to get their attention. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 6 of 8 Sp. Council Appointed Officers Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 09/22/2025 Director Blanch asked if Bob Murray & Associates and Teri Black & Co. should be released from the meeting as the Council goes into deliberation and selection. Chair Stone remarked it will be nice if they stay in attendance in case there are follow-up questions. He requested the focus first be on selecting an applicant before moving on to comments about the brochure draft. Vice Mayor Veenker suggested retaining Teri Black & Co. due to Suzanne Mason having worked with City Attorney Stump, Teri Black’s interest in speaking with City Attorney Stump, having recruited Palo Alto’s assistant city attorney, and knowing Palo Alto and its challenges well. She added that she appreciates all the applicants. Chair Stone agreed. Councilmember Burt agreed. Teri Black & Co. knows Palo Alto well and understands what is attractive about the City, which will be an important part of their recruitment process. He added that a customized proposal had not been received from Peckham & McKenney, although he reviewed their brochures. MOTION: Vice Mayor Veenker moved, seconded by Councilmember Burt to recommend the City Council: 1. Recommend a final selection of Teri Black & Co. to the Council; 2. Recommend to Council to Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute a professional services agreement with Teri Black & Co. recruitment firm for a fee not to exceed $40,000, plus reimbursable expenses not to exceed $10,000, and a. Post the salary as “Depends on Qualifications” (DOQ) unless otherwise directed by the Committee. b. Delegate approval of interview process details to the CAO Committee Chair. MOTION PASSED: 3-0 Chair Stone turned the conversation to the brochure draft. Councilmember Burt requested an editable copy so he can offer comments. Vice Mayor Veenker suggested that Teri Black & Co. and City Attorney Stump review the brochure and provide feedback. She wants the City Attorney to describe her work. Director Blanch mentioned that City Attorney Stump reviewed it and commented. Vice Mayor Veenker suggested there be more information on executive functioning, key responsibilities, and the experience desired. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 7 of 8 Sp. Council Appointed Officers Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 09/22/2025 Director Blanch voiced that there will be an opportunity to speak to Teri Black & Co. Black, and she will be provided a copy. Staff will also return to City Attorney Stump with the Committee’s comments. Assistant Director Raisch clarified that the key responsibility section of the draft is the role of the office, not the City attorney. He suggested that the Commission focus on the candidate profile (themes and options for committee review). Staff is interested in knowing which are the top 3 or 4 the Committee considers the most important. If that information is not currently available, Teri Black & Co. will be doing one-on-one meetings with all Council members. Everything else in the document is standard language used across many executive recruitments done over the last year. Vice Mayor Veenker expressed that it is not clear what a Palo Alto city attorney does. A scope naming the legal work would be helpful. Assistant Director Raisch stated the best way to move forward on choosing the best 3 themes and options will be the one-on-one meetings, including additional input from City Attorney Stump. Councilmember Burt wants to ensure that City Attorney Stump scrutinizes the brochure. There is value to Teri Black & Co. offering potential edits. He added that he has comments related to general items, like the community. The brochure can be improved by incorporating what a candidate should be attracted to in Palo Alto. Strong legal expertise is needed, but not necessarily planning experience. It will be good to get an improved version before returning to the Committee for edits. Vice Mayor Veenker asked if City Attorney Stump had provided any revisions. Assistant Director Raisch answered that he would have to check the system to see if City Attorney Stump provided revisions. He understands that City Attorney Stump’s input on the brochure before finalization will be critical. Chair Stone stated he agrees with the feedback provided. Councilmember Burt addressed the third bullet under Candidate Screening and stated it will be an interview process, although there can be a presentation of candidates if desired. Assistant Director Raisch replied that interviews are a separate step. In the Finalist Selection and Negotiation, panel interviews might consists of 6 or 7 candidates and final interviews could be the top 2. Panel interviews will be done by Council in closed session, but it could also include a panel component. Councilmember Burt asked if one of the steps under candidate screening will be Council deciding on the top candidates from the presented applications. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 8 of 8 Sp. Council Appointed Officers Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 09/22/2025 Assistant Director Raisch stated that at the presentation of candidates, Council will decide to interview X number, and they will be invited to the panel interviews. Councilmember Burt requested that be made clear. He inquired if panel interviews will be done by the stakeholders. Assistant Director Raisch responded that panel interviews is the placeholder for what Council wants it to be. For the presentation of the recommended candidates, the firm will identify top candidates and, in closed session, Council will decide on X number of candidates. Then it will move to the panel interview phase, which will be in closed session with the full Council and could include an additional second panel. From that process, X number will go to the final round of interviews. Councilmember Burt queried if the stakeholders will be in the meeting with Council. Assistant Director Raisch answered there will be 2 separate panels. Councilmember Burt remarked that for City manager and, he believes, for City attorney, there had been a community stakeholder panel and an executive leadership team panel. They may have made their own recommendation or it may have been that just their insights were gathered. There is value in a community stakeholder panel, an executive leadership team panel, and a panel of city attorneys. The panel interviews, the potential initial screening by Council, and peer/stakeholder interviews need to be clarified. Vice Mayor Veenker wants to hear from Teri Black & Co. as to the impact those panels will have on the desirability in applying. Councilmember Burt added that the candidates of 2 of the panels are also interviewing Palo Alto, which the candidates value. Assistant Director Raisch noted that this type of process will be part of the one-on-one Council member engagement with Teri Black & Co. Chair Stones mentioned that he sees the value in it, but he wants to hear from Teri Black & Co. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 6:54 p.m.