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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 13996 City of Palo Alto (ID # 13996) City Council Staff Report Meeting Date: 2/5/2022 Report Type: Action Items City of Palo Alto Page 1 Title: Discussion and Possible Revision to the City Council Procedures and Protocols Handbook and 2022 Standing Committee Topics From: City Manager Lead Department: City Manager Recommendation Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and possibly propose revisions to the Council Procedures and Protocols Handbook and the 2022 Standing Committee Topics. Background Policy and Services Committee considered review of the City Council Procedures and Protocols Handbook at their December 14, 2021 meeting (CMR #13744; packet page 23). No changes were suggested at that time. Staff and a consultant are in the process of implementing the City Council’s August 2021 (CMR #13446; Minutes) directive to reorganize the City Council Procedures and Protocols Handbook to be more user friendly for the City Council and the public. This recommendation came from the Policy and Services Committee in June 2021 (CMR #12341; Minutes) and the City Council approved it in August 2021. Attachments A and B include the tentative topics and regularly scheduled work that the City Council Standing Committees of Policy and Services and Finance expect for 2022. The tentative workplans or calendars were created knowing that there will be referrals and other topics that arise. These calendars were shared with the newly assigned Committee Chairs for 2022. Discussion The Municipal Code provides that the City Council should adopt “a handbook of procedural rules governing any aspect of the conduct of meetings and hearings for the Council and its standing committees, including but not limited to agenda requirements, the order of business, rules of order, rules of evidence, closed session procedures and rules for public participation in meetings” (PAMC section 2.04.100). The City Council adopted the first version of the City Council Procedures and Protocols Handbook in the early 2000s. The Handbook calls on the City Council to review its procedural rules and protocols annually. (CPP, Protocols Section 3.1, page 34). This is typically done at the City Council’s January/February retreat. The Handbook has been amended numerous times over the years City of Palo Alto Page 2 with updates to particular sections, though the core of the document has remained largely unchanged for over 20 years. Most recently, the City Council adopted a set of changes on February 1, 2020 (CMR #11036; Minutes), during the annual City Council Retreat, with approval following a referral to Policy and Services. Since the August 2021 City Council action to procure a consultant to reorganize the handbook, staff has been working with the consultant on this task. The work includes reorganizing the handbook to improve clarity and ease of use for the public, City Council and staff. In addition, obsolete language will be removed or updated to reflect current practices. The revision is intended to be non-substantive. A mark-up will be prepared to show and explain changes and updates. It is anticipated staff will bring a draft to review to the Policy and Services Committee before the end of the current fiscal year. Thereafter, the draft will come to City Council for approval. While the reorganization work is proceeding, City Council may, if it so desires, identify substantive changes it would like to make to the handbook and the policies and practices the handbook contains. At the retreat, the City Council could identify areas for new or revised policies and direct staff to return to Policy and Services for review and City Council for adoption, potentially in conjunction with the reorganized draft. In the alternative, City Council could hold off on additional changes pending review of the reorganized draft in the second part of the year. Work Plan Calendars for Finance Committee and Policy and Services Committee Standing Committees Per the CPP, Section 2 – Council Meeting & Agenda Guidelines, Subsection 2.4, Letter Y (page 23): The purpose and intent of committee meetings is to provide for more thorough and detailed discussion and study of prospective or current Council agenda items with a full and complete airing of all sentiments and expressions of opinion on city problems by both the Council and the public, to the end that Council action will be expedited. Actions of the committee shall be advisory recommendations only. Referrals for discussion and action at the committee level are referred to Standing Committees by Council action or City Manager (staff) and are made to only one committee (CPP, page 24). The tentative schedules include regularly scheduled work, such as audit updates and budget- related reports, as well as any items that have been previously referred, with the date of the referral. These schedules were shared with the new Chairs, as appointed by the Mayor for 2022. Timeline, Resource Impact, Policy Implications There is no resource impact identified at this time. Depending on the nature and extent of revisions sought, direction to revise the CPP or add standing committee topics could involve substantial staff resources. City of Palo Alto Page 3 Stakeholder Engagement Stakeholder Engagement Policy and Services Committee discussed the CPP at their regular meeting of December 14, 2021, and June 8, 2021. City Council recommended a full reorganization to the handbook on August 30, 2021. Staff continues to work with a consultant on that and will bring the draft document to the Policy and Services Committee for review. Environmental Review This is not considered a project and no environmental review is required. Attachments: • Attachment A: Policy and Services Tentative Topics Calendar-2022 • Attachment B: Finance Committee Tentative Calendar Topics 2022 City of Palo Alto I 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA. I www.cityofpaloalto.org – January 2022 POLICY & SERVICES TENTATIVE TOPICS CALENDAR 2022 January •Mayor appoints Committee and designates Chair; usually no P&S meeting February •Update: Summary of Recent Race and Equity Work since September 2021 including update on RMS Contract for Police Data Collection March (some items will likely move to another agenda) •Auditor: Risk Assessment and Audit Plan •Auditor: Quarterly Report – December 31, 2021 •Auditor: Economic Recovery Advisory •Auditor: Non-profit Agreement Management •Auditor: SAP Report April •Quarterly Audit Status Report (Jan-March) •Procedures & Protocols – referral from Retreat to discuss proposed edits •Update: Summary of Recent Race and Equity Work since February including update on RMS Police Data Collection (short update) •Council Referral from Nov. 29, 2021: Renter Protections: Bring back to P&S [a] proposal and discussion on expanding anti-gouging measure to address loopholes May •Discussion of Community Survey (date is TBD but it will be in 2022) •Referral from 2021: Council referral – Affordable Housing Funding (from August 16, 2021 Council Meeting) •Council Referral from Nov. 29, 2021: Renter Protections: Staff to go to P&S with updated language in ordinance for a renter survey and estimates on effort to enforce it for P&S discussion •Informational: Brief Legislative Update Attachment A City of Palo Alto I 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA. I www.cityofpaloalto.org – January 2022 June • Audit Report – TBD • Council Referral from Nov. 29, 2021: Renter Protections: Fair chance ordinance to be reviewed by P&S for analysis on consequences/unintended consequences • Continued Item from November 2021: City Council Referral: Policy and Services Committee to Recommend Strategies to Support and Strengthen Neighborhood Programs, Identify Gaps in Existing Neighborhood-based Services, and Evaluate new Strategies as Proposed in the Colleagues' Memo Regarding a Proposed Program for Neighbor Connection • Procedures & Protocols follow up discussion if needed July No meeting; Council break August • Quarterly Audit Status Report (April-June) • Quarterly Race and Equity Update: Summary of Recent Race and Equity Work including update on RMS Police Data Collection September • Update: Summary of Recent Race and Equity Work since including update on RMS Contract for Police Data Collection • Legislative Recap (what passed/didn’t pass) October • Quarterly Audit Status Report (July-Sept) • Audit Report – TBD November • Legislative Agenda and Guidelines (can also go in December) • Informational: Report out on Status of Committee Referrals December • Update: Summary of Recent Race and Equity Work since including update on RMS Contract for Police Data Collection • 2023 City Council Priorities Discussion Completed Referrals (status and date of referral): 1. COMPLETED: Review sworn versus non-sworn staffing for cost savings/enhanced services/increased revenues. Finance Committee reviewed Fire services on November 2, 2021. Policy & Services have reviewed and continue to implement new alternative service delivery models, including creation of the PERT Program, grant to the Federal Government (earmark City of Palo Alto I 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA. I www.cityofpaloalto.org – January 2022 process) for a CAHOOTS-type program, and staff working with Santa Clara County to implement the new TRUST community mobile response program. 2. COMPLETED: Police reform legislative priority thoughts and input to the Policy and Services Committee who will be discussing the City’s legislative priorities in December 2020 (Nov. 16, 2020): 3. COMPLETED: Refer all race and equity work to the Policy and Services Committee for citywide diversity and inclusion practice areas and policing practice areas (Nov. 16, 2020) 4. COMPLETED: Policy and Services CEDAW recommendation: Direct Staff to proceed with a community summit on gender equity issues and next steps in Palo Alto (Nov. 16, 2020) 5. COMPLETED: If the County does not assign a resource to Palo Alto in the next six months, refer to Policy and Services Committee the exploration of the feasibility of a CAHOOTS-type program (Nov. 16, 2020; no action needed unless County does not assign a resource by May 16, 2021) 6. COMPLETED: Refer to the Policy and Services Committee consideration of the Independent Police Auditor (IPA) oversight of internal complaints regarding misconduct related to harassment, discrimination, or retaliation resulting in city investigation of uniformed officers (Nov. 16, 2020) 7. COMPLETED: City Council Referral Re Mid-Year Budget: Direct the Policy and Services Committee to review a rent forgiveness program for qualified City tenants with program costs not-to-exceed the $744,000 COVID-19 Council reserve (March 1, 2021 referral) 8. All referrals from the January 2021 retreat have been fulfilled as well. City of Palo Alto I 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA. I www.cityofpaloalto.org FINANCE COMMITTEE TENTATIVE TOPICS CALENDAR 2022 January •Mayor appoints Committee and designates Chair; usually no FC meeting •Review Potential Local Ballot Measures (January 18, 2022) February •Preliminary Utility Rate Forecasts March •Downtown Business Improvement District and Business Registry Certificate Program Review •Committee Report and Feedback on Potential Local Ballot Measures (stakeholder engagement, analysis, and polling) [tentative] April •Grant Funding Allocations (CDBG) and the Draft Fiscal Year XXXX Annual Plan •Utilities Advisory Commission Rate Forecast and Financial Plan: Water •Utilities Advisory Commission Rate Forecasts and Financial Plan: Wastewater •Rate Schedule Storm Water Management Fee May •Annual Budget Review: Operating + Capital Five Year Plan (typically 24+ hours, 3 all day meetings) •Fiscal Year XXXX Municipal Fee Schedule •Retiree Healthcare Plan and Annual Actuarially Determined Contributions (ADC)- Biannual report, last done May 2020 (FY2021 and 2022 contributions), next scheduled May 2022 •Utilities Advisory Commission Rate Forecasts and Financial Plan: Gas •Utilities Advisory Commission Rate Forecasts and Financial Plan: Electric June •Third Quarter Fiscal Year XXXX Financial Report •Adoption of Fiscal Year XXXX Investment Policy (to be done by June 30 per code) •Report or item on the JMZ six months after it opens and what it would look like to eliminate the General Fund Subsidy through a fully cost recoverable program. Referred June 2020. [tentative] ATTACHMENT B City of Palo Alto I 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA. I www.cityofpaloalto.org July No meeting; Council Break August September/October • Accept California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) Pension Annual Valuation Reports as of June 30, 20XX • Every 3-year review/decision on pension funding policy assumptions next review scheduled for FY 2024. • Evaluation of Printing & Mailing Services levels and service delivery. Referred May 2019. November • Discussion and Recommendation to the City Council to Accept the Macias Gini & O'Connell's Audit of the City of Palo Alto's Financial Statements as of June 30, XXXX and Management Letter • Discussion and Recommendation to Approve the Fiscal Year (FY) XXXX Comprehensive Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and Approve Budget Amendments in Various Funds December • Review and Forward the FY 20XX - FY 20XX Long Range Financial Forecast • First Quarter Fiscal Year XXXX Financial Report • Informational: Report out on Status of Committee Referrals Completed Referred Topics: A full report on the status of Finance Committee referrals and the status can be found here, Item 3 on the November 30, 2021 agenda. 1) COMPLETED: FY 2021 Budget: Direct Staff to return by the end of October with preliminary Q1 financial results so that the Council can consider budget amendments. Referred in June 2021, Reviewed October 25, 2021. 2) COMPLETED: FY2021 Direct the Finance Committee to have an additional review of Public Safety long-term financial trends, beginning with the Fire Department, and concurrent with the September review of pensions. Referred on February 2, 2021, Reviewed on November 2, 2021. 3) COMPLETED: CY2019 Fiscal Sustainability Workplan: Improvement of code enforcement, 311 system, and customer relationship management activities. Referred April 2019, system redundancies eradicated March 2020. City of Palo Alto I 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA. I www.cityofpaloalto.org 4) COMPLETED: Refer to the Finance Committee, a proposal to consider affordable housing funding. Referred February 2020, revised January 2021 (Council), June 2021 (Committee), and September 2021 (Council). Referred to Policy & Services. 5) COMPLETED: Stanford University Medical Fund. Referred January 30, 2021, Reviewed May 4, 2021. 6) COMPLETED: Review sworn versus non-sworn staffing for cost savings/enhanced services/increased revenues. Referred May 2016. Referred to Policy & Services.