HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2502-4160CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Monday, April 14, 2025
Council Chambers & Hybrid
5:30 PM
Agenda Item
9.FIRST READING: Adoption of an Ordinance Setting the Regular Meeting Time of the
Finance and Policy & Services Committees by Resolution or Ordinance (Palo Alto
Municipal Code §§ 2.04.190 and 200); and Adoption of a Resolution Setting the Regular
Meeting Times at 5:30 pm for Finance and 6:00 pm for Policy & Services; CEQA status –
not a project.
City Council
Staff Report
From: City Clerk
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: City Clerk
Meeting Date: April 14, 2025
Report #:2502-4160
TITLE
FIRST READING: Adoption of an Ordinance Setting the Regular Meeting Time of the Finance and
Policy & Services Committees by Resolution or Ordinance (Palo Alto Municipal Code §§
2.04.190 and 200); and Adoption of a Resolution Setting the Regular Meeting Times at 5:30 pm
for Finance and 6:00 pm for Policy & Services; CEQA status – not a project.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommend the City Council adopt:
1. An ordinance amending PAMC §§ 2.04.190 and 200 setting the regular meeting time of
the Finance and Policy & Services committees by resolution or ordinance (Attachment
A); and
2. A resolution setting the regular meeting times at 5:30pm for Finance and 6:00 pm for
Policy & Services (Attachment B).
BACKGROUND
The City’s Finance Committee and Policy & Services Committee have their regular meeting time
set for 7:00 pm under PAMC § 2.04.200(a)1. Under existing practice, however, meetings usually
start earlier than 7:00pm. Because the meeting time is currently codified by ordinance, it would
take two readings and 30 days for a change to become effective.
ANALYSIS
Standing committee meeting times may change periodically due to annual shifts in committee
membership or logistical reasons. The proposed ordinance would allow the regular meeting
times of the Finance Committee and Policy and Services Committee to be set by resolution,
which only requires one reading and can be effective immediately. The attached resolution
would set the regular meeting times to match current practice and committee preferences –
1 Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 2.04.200:
https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-60138
Finance Committee’s regular meeting time will now be at 5:30 pm, and Policy & Services will be
at 6:00 pm.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
ATTACHMENTS
APPROVED BY:
*NOT YET APPROVED*
129_20250304_ts24 1
Ordinance No. _____
Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending PAMC Sections
2.04.190 and 2.04.200 to Set the Regular Meeting Time of the Finance
Committee and the Policy and Services Committee by Resolution or
Ordinance
The Council of the City of Palo Alto ORDAINS as follows:
SECTION 1. The City Council finds and declares as follows:
A. The City Council has two standing committees – the Committee on Finance and
the Committee on Policy and Services. PAMC section 2.04.190. The regular
meeting date, time, and place are defined in PAMC section 2.04.200. Existing law
sets the start time for regular meetings at 7 p.m for these committees. PAMC
section 2.04.200(a).
B. The City Council now desires to establish the regular meeting time of these
standing committees by resolution or ordinance instead of codifying it in PAMC
section 2.04.200.
SECTION 2. PAMC Sections 2.04.190 (Standing committees – Special committees) and
2.04.200 (Standing committee meetings) of Chapter 2.04 (Council Organization and Procedure)
of Title 2 (Adminstrative Code) are hereby amended to read as follows (strikethrough is deleted,
underlined is new text):
2.04.190 Standing committees - Special committees.
(a) Not later than the second regular council meeting in January, the mayor shall appoint two
standing committees, consisting of three members each from the members of the council. The
mayor shall appoint each council member to only one standing committee and shall appoint
the chairperson of each committee. The mayor, or the vice-mayor at the request of the mayor,
may act as an ex officio, voting member of each committee when one or more regular
committee members are absent.
(b) The standing committees shall be designated, respectively, committee on finance and
committee on policy and services, and shall meet at 7:00 p.m. in the city hall on the day as
established by Section 2.04.200.
(c) Council members may attend meetings of committees of which they are not members,
without participating in any manner, but only committee members or ex officio committee
members shall vote in committee in accordance with subsection (a) of this section.
*NOT YET APPROVED*
129_20250304_ts24 2
(d) Council members who submit matters to the council which are referred to a standing
committee may appear before the standing committee to which the referral has been made in
order to speak as proponents of the matter. Standing committee meetings during which such
referrals may be considered shall be noticed as council meetings for the purpose of enabling
the standing committee to discuss and consider the matter with a quorum of the council
present.
(e) In addition to standing committees the mayor may, subject to approval of the council,
appoint such other special committees of council members, private citizens or both as deemed
desirable and necessary to assist and advise the council in its work.
2.04.200 Standing committee meetings.
(a) Regular Meetings. Each standing committee shall meet on its designated meeting night(s)
at 7:00 p.m. at the City Hall. The policy and services committee shall meet on the second
Tuesday of each month and the finance committee shall meet on the first and third Tuesday of
each month. The meeting time for each standing committee’s regular meetings shall be set by
the City Council by ordinance or resolution. When additional meetings are necessary, the
chairperson of each committee may call a special meeting as provided in subsection (b) of this
section.
(b) Special Meetings. Special meetings of standing committees may be called by the
chairperson with the consent of a majority of the committee's members, but a special meeting
so called shall be held at City Hall, or other locations if appropriate, and forty-eight hours'
notice must be given to every council member.
SECTION 3. Environmental Review
The Council finds that this Ordinance is not a project under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15378(b)(2)
and (5) as this is an organizational change of government that will not result in direct or indirect
physical changes in the environment.
//
//
//
//
*NOT YET APPROVED*
129_20250304_ts24 3
SECTION 4. Effective Date
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
*NOT YET APPROVED*
130_20250304_ts24 1
Resolution No. _____
Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Setting the Regular Meeting
Times of the Finance Committee and the Policy and Services Committee
Pursuant to PAMC section 2.04.200
The Council of the City of Palo Alto RESOLVES as follows:
SECTION 1. The City Council finds and declares as follows:
A. The City Council has two standing committees – the Committee on Finance and
the Committee on Policy and Services. PAMC section 2.04.200, as amended in
conjunction with this Resolution, directs the City Council to set the meeting time
for each standing committee by resolution or ordinance.
B. The City Council now desires to set the meeting times according to this
Resolution.
SECTION 2. Pursuant to PAMC 2.04.200, the City Council sets the meeting times for
regular meetings of the following standing committees as follows:
• Finance Committee: 5:30 p.m.
• Policy and Services Committee: 6:00 p.m.
SECTION 3. Environmental Review
The Council finds that this Resolution is not a project under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15378(b)(2)
and (5) as this is an organizational change of government that will not result in direct or indirect
physical changes in the environment.
//
//
//
//
//
//
*NOT YET APPROVED*
130_20250304_ts24 2
SECTION 4. Effective Date
This Resolution shall be effective on the date Ordinance ____ becomes effective and shall be
effective until otherwise amended or rescinded by the City Council.
INTRODUCED:
PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
NOT PARTICIPATING:
ATTEST:
____________________________ ____________________________
City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED:
____________________________ ____________________________
Assistant City Attorney City Manager