HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 11486
CITY OF PALO ALTO OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
August 3, 2020
The Honorable City Council
Palo Alto, California
SECOND READING: Adoption of an Ordinance to Reduce the Number
of Human Relations Commission and Public Art Commission Members
From Seven to Five (FIRST READING: June 22, 2020 PASSED: 5-2 Kou,
Tanaka no)
This was first heard by the City Council on June 22, 2020 on the Consent Calendar. It was
passed on a vote of 5-2 Kou, Tanaka no. It is now before the City Council for the second reading.
ATTACHMENTS:
• Attachment A – Ordinance Amending Chapters 2.18 and 2.22 to Reduce PAC and HRC from
7 to 5 Members (PDF)
Department Head: Beth Minor, City Clerk
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OrdinanceNo._____
OrdinanceoftheCounciloftheCityofPaloAltotoAmendChapter2.18(PublicArt
Commission)andChapter2.22(HumanRelationsCommission)toReduceEachCommissionto
FiveMembers
TheCounciloftheCityofPaloAltoORDAINSasfollows:
SECTION1.Chapter2.18(PublicArtCommission)ofthePaloAltoMunicipalCodeis
herebyamendedandrestatedasfollows(deletedtextisinstrikethrough,newtextisunderlined):
2.18.010Membership.
Thereiscreatedapublicartcommissioncomposedofsevenfivememberswhoarenotcouncil
members,officers,oremployeesofthecity,andwhoshallbeappointedbythecitycouncil.
2.18.020Qualificationsofmembers.
Membersofthepublicartcommissioneithershallbemembersofthearchitecturalreview
boardorshallbeprofessionalvisualartists,professionalvisualartseducators,professionalvisual
artsscholars,orvisualartscollectorswhoseauthoritiesandskillsareknownandrespectedinthe
communityand,wheneverfeasible,whohavedemonstratedaninterestin,andhaveparticipated
in,theartsprogramofthecity.
2.18.040Termofoffice.
TermsofofficeonthePublicArtCommissionshallbethreeyears.Commissionappointments
shallbestaggeredsothatthree(3)membersareappointedin2018andeverythreeyears
thereafter,one(1)memberisappointedin2019andeverythreeyearsthereafter,andone(1)
memberisappointedin2020andeverythreeyearsthereafter.Termsofofficeshallcommence
onthefirstdayofJuneandendonthelastdayofMay.andfour(4)membersareappointedin
2017andeverythreeyearsthereafterEffectiveJanuary1,2016,termsofofficeduetoexpireon
April30ofeachyearshallbeextendedtoexpireonMay31ofthesameyear,andthereafter
termsofofficeshallcommenceonthefirstdayofJune.Ifasuccessorisunavailable,amember
mayremaininofficeuntilhisorhersuccessorisappointed.
2.18.050Officers,meetings,andprocedures.
(a)Chairperson.Thepublicartcommissionshallselectoneofitsmembersaschairperson,
whoshallholdofficeforoneyearoruntilasuccessoriselected,unlessthechairperson'stermas
amemberofthepublicartcommissionexpiressooner.
(b)Meetings.Thepublicartcommissionshallestablisharegulartimeandplaceofmeeting
andshallholdatleastoneregularmeetingamonth.Specialmeetingsmaybecalledbythe
chairpersonorbyanythreemembersofthepublicartcommissionuponpersonalnoticebeing
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giventoallmembersorbywrittennoticebeingmailedtoeachmembertwentyͲfourhoursprior
tosuchmeetingunlesssuchnoticerequirementiswaivedinwriting.
(c)Procedures.Thepublicartcommissionshallprescribebylaws,forms,applications,rules,
andregulationsfortheconductofitsbusiness.Allmeetingsofthepublicartcommissionshallbe
opentothepublicandaresubjecttoTitle5,Division2,Part1,Chapter9oftheCalifornia
GovernmentCodeorsuccessorlegislation.Thedecisionsofthepublicartcommissionshallbe
transmittedtothedirectorofartsandcultureandtosuchotherbodyorbodieswhichhave
jurisdictiontoreviewtheprojectunderconsideration.
2.18.070Jurisdiction.
(a)ArtinPublicPlaces.Thepublicartcommissionshallperformthedutiesandshallhave
theresponsibilitiesspecifiedinChapter2.26ofthistitle.
(b)AdditionalDuties.Thepublicartcommissionshallperformsuchotherdutiesand
undertakesuchotherresponsibilitiesasthecitycouncilmaydirectfromtimetotime.
(c)InteractionwithOtherCityBodies.Ifthefunctionsofthepublicartcommissionoverlap
thefunctionsofanothercitycommittee,commission,board,taskforce,orthelike,thedirector
ofartsandculture,incooperationwiththepublicartcommissionandsuchothercitybody,shall
deviseaprocedureforcoordinatingsuchfunctionstoavoidduplicationofefforts,tomaximize
cooperationbetweenthecitybodies,andtoutilizetheexpertiseofthevariouscitybodiesina
mannermostcompatiblewiththepublicwelfare.
(d)InteractionwithCityDepartments.Thechiefbuildingofficialshalldeterminewhethera
proposedworkofartisamuralorasignunderSection16.20.011(a)(10)ofthiscodepriorto
reviewbythepublicartcommission.
SECTION2.Chapter2.22(HumanRelationsCommission)ofthePaloAltoMunicipal
Codeisherebyamendedandrestatedasfollows(deletedtextisinstrikethrough,newtextis
underlined):
2.22.010Membership.
ThereiscreatedaHumanRelationsCommissioncomposedofsevenfivememberswhoarenot
councilmembers,officersoremployeesofthecity,whoareresidentsofthecity,andwhoshall
beappointedbythecitycouncil.
2.22.020Termofoffice.
TermsofofficeontheHumanRelationsCommissionshallbethreeyears.Commission
appointmentsshallbestaggeredsothattwo(2)membersareappointedin2018andeverythree
yearsthereafter,two(2)membersareappointedin2019andeverythreeyearsthereafter,and
one(1)memberisappointedin2020andeverythreeyearsthereafter.Termsofofficeshall
commenceonthefirstdayofJuneandendonthelastdayofMay.EffectiveJanuary1,2016,
termsofofficeduetoexpireonApril30ofeachyearshallbeextendedtoexpireonMay31of
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thesameyear,andthereaftertermsofofficeshallcommenceonthefirstdayofJune.Ifa
successorisunavailable,amembermayremaininofficeuntilhisorherasuccessorisappointed.
2.22.030Officers,meetingsandprocedures.
(a)Thecommissionshallelectoneofitsmemberschairpersonwhoshallholdofficeforone
yearanduntilhisorherasuccessoriselectedunlesshisorherthechairperson’stermasa
memberofthecommissionsoonerexpires.
(b)TheHumanRelationsCommissionshallestablisharegulartime,dateandplaceofmeeting
andshallordinarilyholdmeetingsmonthlyThecommissionshallestablisharegulartimeand
placeofmeetingandshallholdatleastoneregularmeetingamonth.Specialmeetingsmaybe
calledbythechairpersonorbyanyfourthreemembersofthecommissionuponpersonalnotice
beinggiventoallmembersorbywrittennoticebeingmailedtoeachmembertwentyͲfourhours
priortosuchmeetingunlesssuchnoticerequirementiswaivedinwriting.
(c)FourThreeofthesevenfivemembersshallconstituteaquorumandtheaffirmativevotes
offouramajorityofmemberspresentarerequiredtotakeanyaction.
(d)Thecommissionmayestablishtaskforcesadhoccommitteesoftwocommissionmembers
foradvisoryandinvestigativepurposes.Thecommissionshall,bymajorityvote,appoint
membersoftaskforcesadhoccommittees,suchtaskforcememberstobeapprovedbythe
mayor.Membersofthecommissionmaybeappointedasmembersofataskforce.
2.22.050Jurisdiction.
(a)Thehumanrelationscommissionhasthediscretiontoactwithrespecttoanyhuman
relationsmatterwhenthecommissionfindsthatanypersonorgroupdoesnotbenefitfullyfrom
publicorprivateopportunitiesorresourcesinthecommunity,orisunfairlyordifferentlytreated
duetofactorsofconcerntothecommission.
(1)Publicorprivateopportunitiesorresourcesinthecommunityinclude,butarenotlimited
to,thoseassociatedwithownershipandrentalofhousing,employment,educationand
governmentalservicesandbenefits.
(2)Factorsofconcerntothecommissioninclude,butarenotlimitedto,socioeconomicclass
orstatus,physicalconditionorhandicap,marriedorunmarriedstate,emotionalcondition,
intellectualability,age,sex,sexualpreference,genderidentity,race,culturalcharacteristics,
ethnicbackground,ancestry,citizenship,andreligious,conscientiousorphilosophicalbelief.
(b)Thecommissionshallconductsuchstudiesandundertakesuchresponsibilitiesasthe
councilmaydirect.
2.22.060Authority.
UponmakingafindingpursuanttoSection2.22.050(a),thecommissionmayactasfollows:
(a)Tofosterpublicawarenessandunderstandingofhumanrelationsproblemsbyanymeans
ofdisseminatinginformationincluding,butnotlimitedto,educationalprogramsandprintedand
electronicmedia;
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(b)Tofacilitateresolutionofproblemsorimprovementofconditionswithinthejurisdiction
ofthecommissionbyencouragement,persuasionandmediationandbypointingoutprivateor
publicagencieswhichmightprovideassistance;
(c)Tomakesuchstudieswhich,inthejudgmentofthecommission,mightaidinaffecting
matterswithinthejurisdictionofthecommission;
(d)Torecommendlocallegislationorotheractiontothecouncilandtoencouragethe
counciltosupportoropposestateorfederallegislationorregulationrelatingtomatterswithin
thejurisdictionofthecommission;
(e)Tocoordinateprogramsofthecommissionwithsimilarprogramsbyprivateandpublic
agenciesandorganizations;and
(f)Torecommendoropposelegislationotherthanthatofthecity,providedthatthecity
councilhasnottakenanofficialpositionwithrespecttosuchlegislation,andprovidedfurther
thatanycommunication,whetheroralorwritten,fromthecommissionconcerningsuch
legislationclearlyindicatesthatsuchrecommendationoroppositionisthatofthecommission
andisnotnecessarilythatofthecitycouncil.
2.22.070Liberalconstruction.
Theprovisionsofthischaptershallbeliberallyconstruedtoeffectuatethepublicpurposeof
fosteringhumanrelations.
SECTION3.Ifanysection,subsection,clauseorphraseofthisOrdinanceisforany
reasonheldtobeinvalid,suchdecisionshallnotaffectthevalidityoftheremainingportionor
sectionsoftheOrdinance.TheCouncilherebydeclaresthatitshouldhaveadoptedthe
Ordinanceandeachsection,subsection,sentence,clauseorphrasethereofirrespectiveofthe
factthatanyoneormoresections,subsections,sentences,clausesorphrasesbedeclared
invalid.
SECTION4.TheCouncilfindsthatthisprojectisexemptfromtheprovisionsofthe
CaliforniaEnvironmentalQualityAct(“CEQA”),pursuanttoSection15061oftheCEQA
Guidelines,becauseitcanbeseenwithcertaintythatthereisnopossibilitythattheordinance
willhaveasignificanteffectontheenvironment.
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SECTION5.ThisordinanceshallbeeffectiveonthethirtyͲfirstdayafterthedateofits
adoption.
INTRODUCED:
PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:
____________________________ ____________________________
CityClerkMayor
APPROVEDASTOFORM:APPROVED:
____________________________ ____________________________
DeputyCityAttorneyCityManager
____________________________
DirectorofCommunityServices
DepartmentDivision