HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-03-19 Ordinance 5431DocuSign Envelope ID: 5F7FFF5A-5F7 4-4664-886A-434856316CEB
Ordinance No. 5431
Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending Chapter 2.22
(Human Relations Commission) and Chapter 2.25 (Parks and Recreation
Commission) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Use Gender-neutral Language
and Add Gender Identity to the Human Relations Commission's Jurisdiction,
and to Reflect the Community Services Department's Current Divisions
The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 2.22.030 (Officers, Meetings and Procedures) of Chapter 2.22
(Human Relations Commission) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as
follows:
2.22.030 Officers, meetings and procedures.
(a) The commission shall elect one of its members chairperson who shall hold office for one
year and until his or her successor is elected unless his or her term as a member of the
commission sooner expires.
(b) The commission shall establish a regular time and place of meeting and shall hold at least
one regular meeting a month. Special meetings may be called by the chairperson or by any four
members of the commission upon personal notice being given to all members or by written
notice being mailed to each member twenty-four hours prior to such meeting unless such
notice requirement is waived in writing.
(c) Four of the seven members shall constitute a quorum and the affirmative votes of four
members are required to take any action.
(d) The commission may establish task forces for advisory and investigative purposes. The
commission shall, by majority vote, appoint members of task forces, such task force members
to be approved by the mayor. Members of the commission may be appointed as members of a
task force.
SECTION 2. Section 2.22.050 (Jurisdiction) of Chapter 2.22 (Human Relations
Commission) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
2.22.050 Jurisdiction.
(a) The human relations commission has the discretion to act with respect to any human
relations matter when the commission finds that any person or group does not benefit fully
from public or private opportunities or resources in the community, or is unfairly or differently
treated due to factors of concern to the commission.
(1) Public or private opportunities or resources in the community include, but are not limited
to, those associated with ownership and rental of housing, employment, education and
governmental services and benefits.
(2) Factors of concern to the commission include, but are not limited to, socioeconomic class
or status, physical condition or handicap, married or unmarried state, emotional condition,
intellectual ability, age, sex, sexual preference, gender identity, race, cultural characteristics,
ethnic background, ancestry, citizenship, and religious, conscientious or philosophical belief.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 5F7FFF5A-5F74-4664-BB6A-434856316CEB
(b) The commission shall conduct such studies and undertake such responsibilities as the
council may direct.
SECTION 3. Section 2.25.050 {Purposes and Duties) of Chapter 2.25 (Parks and
Recreation Commission) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
2.25.050 Purpose and duties.
(a) The purpose of the parks and recreation commission shall be to advise the city council on
matters relating to the activities of the open space, parks and golf division and the recreation
division of the community services department, excluding daily administrative operations.
(b) The commission shall have the following duties:
{1) Advise the city council on planning and policy matters pertaining to:
(A) The goals of and the services provided by the open space, parks and golf division and the
recreation division of the community services department.
(B) The future delivery of services by the open space, parks and golf division and the
recreation division of the community services department.
(C) The city manager's recommendations pertaining to the disposition of major gifts of
money, personal property and real property to the city to be used for open space, parks, golf
and recreation activities.
{D) The construction and renovation of capital facilities of the open space, parks and golf
division and the recreation division of the community services department.
(E) Joint action projects with other public or private parks, open space and recreation
entities.
(2) Review state legislative proposals that may affect the operation of the open space, parks
and golf division and recreation division of the community services department.
{3) Review the city manager's proposed budget for capital improvements and operations
relating to the open space, parks and golf division and recreation division of the community
services department, and thereafter forward any comments to one or more of the applicable
committees of the city council.
(4) Provide advice upon such other matters as the city council may from time to time assign.
(5) Receive community input concerning parks, open space and recreation activities.
{6) Review and comment on fund-raising efforts on behalf of the open space, parks and golf
division and recreation division of the community services department.
The parks and recreation commission shall not have the power or authority to cause the
expenditure of city funds or to bind the city to any written or implied contract.
SECTION 4. If any section, subsection, clause or phrase of this Ordinance is for any
reason held to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion or
sections of the Ordinance. The Council hereby declares that it would have adopted the
Ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase thereof irrespective of
whether any sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases are declared invalid.
SECTION 5. The Council finds that this ordinance is exempt from the California
Environmental Quality Act {"CEQA"), because it concerns organizational or administrative
activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the
environment and, thus, is not a project under Section 15378 ofthe CEQA Guidelines.
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