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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 14912 (2) City of Palo Alto (ID # 14912) City Council Staff Report Meeting Date: 11/7/2022 Report Type: Action Items City of Palo Alto Page 1 Title: Recommendation from the Policy and Services Committee to Adopt a City Council Values Statement From: City Manager Lead Department: City Manager Recommendation The Policy and Services Committee recommends that the City Council adopt a Values Statement as presented in this report. Background The Policy and Services Committee followed up on the City Council referral from the February 5, 2022 City Council retreat for the Policy and Services Committee to discuss and recommend to the City Council a set of values that would continue over successive years as values. Council intended the values to reflect enduring goals and intentions—such as Fiscal Sustainability, Social Justice, Healthy City Healthy Community, and Environmental Sustainability—which would allow Council to maintain these enduring intentions while also selecting annual priorities that reflect shorter-term projects and goals. The Policy and Services Committee discussed this referral at the April 12, 2022 meeting (CMR #14243; Minutes) and also at the September 13, 2022 meeting (CMR #14731; Minutes). At the September meeting, the Committee passed a motion with the recommended values statement shown in the discussion section below. This motion was not a unanimous vote at Committee. Discussion City of Palo Alto Values: Values are organizational characteristics that are both stated explicitly and regularly reinforced. When defining values, there is a trade-off between being specific and being relevant to all aspects of an organization. The effort to define a set of values can ideally both reinforce current practice and recommit to organizational focus. While the City Council is engaged in this effort to define the City Council Values Statement that responds to community priorities, staff is also engaging in a parallel effort to refresh the workforce organizational values. This effort is beginning this Fall. For the City Council Values Statement, based on the topics the Council asked the Committee to City of Palo Alto Page 2 explore for a values statement, as well as the existing mission statements, the Committee recommends the following statement for full City Council consideration and adoption: Draft City Council Values Statement: The Palo Alto City Council has universally shared values that help guide our decisions and the work we do. These values include: 1. We will make decisions that balance revenues and expenses, now and in the future. 2. We will make decisions that respect the environment, now and in the future. 3. We will integrate equity into our decisions, considering how decisions affect people differently based on their identity or circumstances. 4. We will build a healthy, safe, and welcoming environment for all in our community. 5. We will communicate openly with all members of our community and welcome innovative solutions. Process: The Policy and Services Committee designated one member to work with staff to discuss and draft a values statement for full Policy and Services Committee review. The draft considered existing mission and values statements, including the City’s Mission Statement, the City’s Equity Mission Statement, and the Annual Budget Values Statement. Those statements are referenced here: City Mission Statement in the Annual City Budget: The government of the City of Palo Alto exists to promote and sustain a superior quality of life in Palo Alto. In partnership with our community, our goal is to deliver cost- effective services in a personal, responsive and innovative manner. Equity Mission Statement: The City of Palo Alto is committed to creating a respectful, fair, and professional workplace and city. We will identify prejudices, eliminate inequities, welcome many perspectives, and use a collaborative approach to create an environment that works for everyone. The City's commitment to achieve equity in Palo Alto is the shared responsibility of our residents, organizations, governments, and other institutions. (link: www.cityofpaloalto.org/raceandequity) Values Statement in the Annual City Budget: - Quality: Superior delivery of services - Courtesy: providing service with respect and concern - Efficiency: Productive, effective use of resources - Integrity: straightforward, honest, and fair relations - Innovation: excellence in creative thought and implementation City of Palo Alto Page 3 Timeline and Resource Impact Now that the Policy and Services Committee has reviewed this City Council referral and is bringing forth a recommendation, the full City Council can consider it. If progressing toward adoption, the goal would be for the City Council to adopt a values statement prior to the 2023 City Council retreat. There is no resource impact for the City Council Values Statement process. Stakeholder Engagement In previous years, the City Council solicited information from the public about the priorities the City Council should consider for annual priorities. The topic areas included in the draft City Council Values Statement above are based on topics that regularly come up as priority areas for the City Council. Environmental Review Adoption of a Values Statement is not a project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act. No environment review is needed.