HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-06-01 City Council Action MinutesCITY COUNCIL
ACTION MINUTES
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Special Meeting
June 1, 2021
The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in virtual
teleconference at 5:01 P.M.
Participating Remotely: Burt, Cormack, DuBois, Filseth, Kou, Stone, Tanaka
arrived at 6:21 P.M.
Absent:
Special Orders of the Day
1. Proclamation Honoring Gunn High School Football Coach Jason Miller.
Council Member Kou read the proclamation into the record.
NO ACTION TAKEN.
2. Proclamation Honoring Gunn High School Titans Football Team.
Mayor DuBois read the proclamation into the record.
NO ACTION TAKEN.
Study Session
3. Discussion of the Format for Meetings of the City Council and Other
Public Bodies Potentially Beginning August 2021.
NO ACTION TAKEN.
Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions
Mayor DuBois announced Agenda Item Number 9 has been moved to June 7,
2021.
Council took a break at 6:03 P.M. and returned at 6:16 P.M.
Minutes Approval
4. Approval of Action Minutes for the May 17 and May 18, 2021 City
Council Meetings.
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ACTION MINUTES
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Sp. City Council Meeting
Action Minutes: 06/01/2021
MOTION: Council Member Kou moved, seconded by Council Member Filseth
to approve the Action Minutes for the May 17 and May 18, 2021 City Council
Meetings.
MOTION PASSED: 6-0 Tanaka Absent
Consent Calendar
Council Member Kou registered a no vote on Agenda Item Number 5.
MOTION: Council Member Cormack moved, seconded by Council Member
Stone to approve Agenda Item Number 5.
5. SECOND READING: Ordinance 5523 and Ordinance 5524 Responding
to State Housing Bills Regarding Density Bonus and Affordable
Housing, Environmental Assessment: Exempt Pursuant to California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3)
(FIRST READING: May 18, 2021 PASSED: 7-0).
MOTION PASSED: 5-1 Kou no, Tanaka absent
Action Items
6. Approval of the Tri-party Fire Agreement for Foothills Reserve Fire
Station Staffing During Fire Season.
MOTION: Mayor DuBois moved, seconded by Council Member Cormack to
approve entering into a memorandum of understanding with the Los Altos
Hills County Fire District and the Santa Clara County Fire Department to staff
Palo Alto Fire Station 8 (Foothills) during wildland fire seasons.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
7. Discussion on the Scope of Economic Development and Resources
Needed for Implementation; and Direction to Staff on the Desired
Scope and Goals of Future Investment.
Council took a break at 7:51 P.M. and returned at 8:00 P.M.
MOTION: Mayor DuBois moved, seconded by Council Member Filseth to
direct Staff to come back with a proposal for an RFP for an economic
development strategy consultant and internal staffing plan to support a
connection to the business community with a focus on:
A. Analysis of shifts in Palo Alto business mix, including clean up and
analysis of business registry data;
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ACTION MINUTES
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Sp. City Council Meeting
Action Minutes: 06/01/2021
B. Strategies to deal with shifts caused by the pandemic;
C. Strategies to bolster Palo Alto hotels; and
D. Additional opportunities to bolster revenue and service local residents.
SUBSTITUTE MOTION: Council Member Kou moved, seconded by Council
Member Stone to:
A. Hire an Economic Development Staff member to develop an internal
staffing plan to support a connection to the business community with a
focus on:
i. Analysis of shifts in Palo Alto business mix including clean up and
analysis of business registry data;
ii. Strategies to deal with shifts caused by the pandemic;
iii. Strategies to bolster Palo Alto hotels;
iv. Additional opportunities to bolster revenue and service local
residents; and
B. Refer to the Finance Committee discussion of the funding source for
this position.
SUBSTITUTE MOTION FAILED: 3-4 Burt, Kou, Stone yes
MOTION PASSED: 6-1 Stone no
8. Adoption of an Ordinance Establishing Board and Commission Term
Limits, Consolidating Recruitment to May of Each Year, and Codifying
the Human Relations Commission's Existing Role of Recommending
Grant Funding.
MOTION: Vice Mayor Burt moved, seconded by Council Member Stone to
approve an Ordinance, with adjustments on policy issues as desired, to
amend various sections of the Palo Alto Municipal Code in order to:
A. Create term limits for board and commission members as follows:
i. Three 3-year terms for the Architectural Review Board (ARB),
Historic Resources Board (HRB), Human Relations Commission
(HRC), Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC), Public Art
Commission (PAC), and the Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC);
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ACTION MINUTES
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Sp. City Council Meeting
Action Minutes: 06/01/2021
a) Cannot serve more than 9 years consecutively;
ii. Two 4-year terms for the Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC) and the Storm Water Management Oversight
Committee (SWMOC);
a) Cannot serve more than 8 years consecutively;
B. Approve the suggested policy issues regarding term limits, including
i. Two recruitment periods with one commencing in January for PTC, HRB, HRC, and ARB with terms beginning in March; and
one commencing in August for all other BCCs with terms
beginning October;
C. Effective date of Ordinance would be January 1, 2022
D. Codify existing duties of the Human Relations Commission.
AMENDMENT: Mayor DuBois moved, seconded by Council Member Cormack
to amend the Motion Part B. i. to commence the recruitment for all Boards
and Commissions in January with terms beginning in March.
AMENDMENT PASSED: 5-2 Burt, Stone
MOTION AS AMENDED: Vice Mayor Burt moved, seconded by Council
Member Stone to approve an Ordinance, with adjustments on policy issues
as desired, to amend various sections of the Palo Alto Municipal Code in
order to:
A. Create term limits for board and commission members as follows:
i. Three 3-year terms for the Architectural Review Board (ARB),
Historic Resources Board (HRB), Human Relations Commission
(HRC), Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC), Public Art
Commission (PAC), and the Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC);
a) Cannot serve more than 9 years consecutively;
ii. Two 4-year terms for the Planning and Transportation
Commission (PTC) and the Storm Water Management Oversight
Committee (SWMOC);
a) Cannot serve more than 8 years consecutively;
B. Approve the suggested policy issues regarding term limits, including:
DocuSign Envelope ID: 7569C42A-BA27-4183-8331-1072F7717CEA
ACTION MINUTES
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Sp. City Council Meeting
Action Minutes: 06/01/2021
i. Commence the recruitment for all Boards and Commissions in
January, with terms beginning in March;
C. Effective date of Ordinance would be January 1, 2022; and
D. Codify existing duties of the Human Relations Commission.
MOTION AS AMENDED PASSED: 6-1 Cormack no
9. PUBLIC HEARING: Adoption of a Resolution to Suspend Assessments
for Fiscal Year 2022 for Downtown Business Improvement District
(BID) (STAFF REQUESTS THIS ITEM BE CONTINUED TO JUNE 7,
2021).
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned in memory of the VTA shooting
victims, their co-workers, and families at 10:40 P.M.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
____________________ ____________________
City Clerk Mayor
NOTE: Action minutes are prepared in accordance with Palo Alto Municipal
Code (PAMC) 2.04.160(a) and (b). Summary minutes (sense) are prepared
in accordance with PAMC Section 2.04.160(c). Beginning in January 2018, in
accordance with Ordinance No. 5423, the City Council found action minutes
and the video/audio recordings of Council proceedings to be the official
records of both Council and committee proceedings. These recordings are
available on the City’s website.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 7569C42A-BA27-4183-8331-1072F7717CEA