HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2412-3864CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Special Meeting
Monday, January 13, 2025
Council Chambers & Hybrid
5:30 PM
Agenda Item
8.SECOND READING: Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending Sections of
Title 2 (Administrative Code) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Move the Appointment
of Members to the Public Art Commission, Human Relations Commission, and Parks and
Recreation Commission to November of Each Year and Extending Existing Terms
Accordingly (FIRST READING: December 2, 2024 PASSED 7-0)
City Council
Staff Report
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: City Clerk
Meeting Date: January 13, 2025
Report #:2412-3864
TITLE
SECOND READING: Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending Sections of Title
2 (Administrative Code) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Move the Appointment of Members
to the Public Art Commission, Human Relations Commission, and Parks and Recreation
Commission to November of Each Year and Extending Existing Terms Accordingly (FIRST
READING: December 2, 2024 PASSED 7-0)
BACKGROUND
The City Council heard this item on December 2, 2024 for a first reading and approved it on a 7-
0 vote. No changes were made to the ordinance, and it is now before the City Council for a
second reading.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending Sections of Title 2
(Administrative Code) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Move the Appointment of Members
to the Public Art Commission, Human Relations Commission, and Parks and Recreation
Commission to November of Each Year and Extending Existing Terms Accordingly
APPROVED BY:
Mahealani Ah Yun
NOT YET APPROVED Attachment A
118_20241018_ts24 1
Ordinance No.
Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending Sections of Title 2
(Administrative Code) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Move the Appointment
of Members to the Public Art Commission, Human Relations Commission, and
Parks and Recreation Commission to November of Each Year and Extending
Existing Terms Accordingly
The Council of the City of Palo Alto ORDAINS as follows:
SECTION 1. Findings and declarations. The City Council finds and declares as follows:
A. The City has several statutory boards and commissions. See Palo Alto Municipal Code
Chapters 2.18 et seq.;
B. Existing PAMC section 2.16.070 requires that the City Council make regularly-scheduled
appointments to boards and commissions in April of each year;
C. The City Council intends to move the appointment process to November for three
commissions: the Public Art Commission, the Human Relations Commission, and the
Parks and Recreation Commission; and
D. The City Council intends that the extensions of terms made in this ordinance are in
addition to those made in Ordinance 5529 that were effective January 1, 2022.
SECTION 2. Section 2.16.070 (Schedule of appointments) of Chapter 2.16 (Boards and
Commissions Generally) of Title 2 (Administrative Code) is hereby amended as follows
(additions are in underline, deletions are in strikethrough):
2.16.070 Schedule of appointments.
(a) The City Council shall review applications to fill vacancies in the following boards and
commissions in by April of each year:
(1) Human Relations Commission (Chapter 2.22)
(2) Public Art Commission (Chapter 2.18)
(31) Utilities Advisory Commission (Chapter 2.23)
(42) Architectural Review Board (Chapter 2.21)
(53) Historic Resources Board (Chapter 2.27)
(6) Parks and Recreation Commission (Chapter 2.25)
(74) Planning and Transportation Commission (Chapter 2.20)
(b) The City Council shall review applications to fill vacancies in the following boards and
commissions by November of each year:
(1) Public Art Commission (Chapter 2.18)
(2) Human Relations Commission (Chapter 2.22)
(3) Parks and Recreation Commission (Chapter 2.25)
NOT YET APPROVED Attachment A
118_20241018_ts24 2
(bc) The City Council shall fill vacancies in all other boards and commissions, if any, in April of
each year or at another time, at its discretion.
(cd) The City Council may fill mid-term vacancies during the next regularly scheduled
recruitment for the board or commission or may hold a special recruitment, at its discretion.
Special recruitments shall be subject to the requirements of Section 2.16.060.
SECTION 3. Section 2.18.040 (Term of office) of Chapter 2.18 (Public Art Commission) is hereby
amended as follows:
2.18.040 Term of office.
Terms of office on the Public Art Commission shall be three years. Effective January 1, 2022,
terms of office due to expire on May 31 of each year shall be extended to expire on the March
31 of the following year, and thereafter terms of office shall commence on April 1. Effective
January 1, 2025, terms of office due to expire on March 31 of each year shall be extended to
expire on October 31 of the same year, and thereafter terms of office shall commence on
November 1. If a successor is unavailable, a member may remain in office until his or her
successor is appointed, subject to the limits in Section 2.16.080.
SECTION 4. Section 2.22.020 (Term of office) of Chapter 2.22 (Human Relations Commission) is
hereby amended as follows:
2.22.020 Term of office.
Terms of office on the Human Relations Commission shall be three years. Effective January 1,
2022, terms of office due to expire on May 31 of each year shall be extended to expire on the
March 31 of the following year, and thereafter terms of office shall commence on April 1.
Effective January 1, 2025, terms of office due to expire on March 31 of each year shall be
extended to expire on October 31 of the same year, and thereafter terms of office shall
commence on November 1. If a successor is unavailable, a member may remain in office until his
or her successor is appointed, subject to the limits in Section 2.16.080.
SECTION 5. Section 2.25.030 (Term of office) of Chapter 2.25 (Parks and Recreation
Commission) is hereby amended as follows:
2.25.030 Term of office.
Terms of office on the parks and recreation commission shall be three years. Commission
appointments shall be staggered so that in each three-year cycle three members are appointed
to serve during the first year, four members are appointed to serve during the second year, and
no members are appointed to serve during the third year. Effective January 1, 2022, terms of
office due to expire on December 15 of each year shall be extended to expire on March 31 of the
following year, and thereafter terms of office shall commence on April 1. Effective January 1,
2025, terms of office due to expire on March 31 of each year shall be extended to expire on
NOT YET APPROVED Attachment A
118_20241018_ts24 3
October 31 of the same year, and thereafter terms of office shall commence on November 1. If a
successor is unavailable, a member may remain in office until his or her successor is appointed,
subject to the limits in Section 2.16.080.
SECTION 6. A term of office extended by this Ordinance and/or Ordinance 5529 shall still be
considered one term for the purpose of determining term limits under PAMC section 2.16.080
(Term Limits).
SECTION 7. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is for any
reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court of competent jurisdiction,
such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City
Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance and each and every section,
subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard
to whether any portion of the Ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or
unconstitutional.
SECTION 8. The Council finds that adoption of this Ordinance is exempt from the California
Environmental Quality Act as it is not a “project” within the meaning of CEQA.
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NOT YET APPROVED Attachment A
118_20241018_ts24 4
SECTION 9. This Ordinance shall be effective 31 days after adoption.
INTRODUCED:
PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
NOT PARTICIPATING:
ATTEST:
____________________________ ____________________________
City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED:
____________________________ ____________________________
Assistant City Attorney City Manager
____________________________
City Clerk
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Director of Community Services