HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-10-20 City Council Summary MinutesCITY COUNCIL
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 1 of 36
Regular Meeting
October 20, 2025
The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Council Chambers and by virtual
teleconference at 5:30 P.M.
Present In Person: Burt, Lauing, Lu, Lythcott-Haims, Reckdahl, Stone, Veenker
Veenker arrived at 5:32 P.M.
Present Remotely: None
Absent: None
Call to Order
Mayor Lauing called the meeting to order.
City Manager Ed Shikada confirmed that translation services were available for the meeting.
Sam Tavera, Administrative Associate, City Clerk’s Office, introduced the Wordly tool, which
enabled real-time translation of speakers’ remarks. More information on Wordly was available
at the front by the Clerk and at back of the room. Staff was on hand to assist with access. Mr.
Tavera provided instructions in English and Spanish.
Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions
Mayor Lauing noted Agenda Item AA1 was added to interview a candidate for the Parks and
Recreation Commission who was previously unable to attend.
Special Orders of the Day: Boards, Commissions, and Committees Interviews
AA1. Interview Candidate for Vacancies on the Parks and Recreation Commission; CEQA
Status - Not a Project
City Clerk Mahealani Ah Yun announced that candidate, Marc Schoenen, had been informed of
the interview process.
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 2 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
Marc Schoenen, Parks and Recreation Commission Applicant, noted his family moved to Palo
Alto about 15 years ago, drawn by its education system, parks, and outdoors. Mr. Schoenen and
his family enjoyed events like the 4th of July Chili Cook Off and milestones such as the launch of
Magical Bridge and the reopening of the Mitchell Park Library. Mr. Schoenen had always tried
to instill in the community and his family the belief of giving back, and he believed the Parks
and Recreation Commission offered a lot of opportunities to do so. Palo Alto’s median age was
in the 40s and about 20 percent were over 65. As the city’s demographics had shifted with a
growing senior population, Mr. Schoenen felt that accessibility in parks and open spaces should
be a key focus for long-term planning. Mr. Schoenen worked in human resources for a tech
company, where he navigated negotiations, conflict resolution, and budget constraints.
Councilmember Stone asked Mr. Schoenen to speak more about the Commission’s role as
environmental stewards for the City, open spaces, and parks. Mr. Schoenen remarked that the
Commission should be at the forefront of environmental stewardship, continually look at data
and review evolving science on topics such as natural grass versus artificial turf, and determine
what was best for the constituents.
Councilmember Lu inquired if Mr. Schoenen had suggestions about programs or other ways to
enhance opportunities for seniors. Mr. Schoenen emphasized the importance of accessibility
for seniors and noted recent improvements, such as expanded bike lanes. Mr. Schoenen
acknowledged he needed to do more due diligence to understand seniors’ needs. Mr. Schoenen
highlighted the diversity in senior activity levels; some may need accessibility, whereas others
may not. Mr. Schoenen referenced community members at Byxbee parkrun where some
seniors ran a lot faster than he did.
Councilmember Burt inquired about the applicant’s thoughts on the Parks and Recreation
Commission’s role on safekeeping the natural environment of the area.
Mr. Schoenen stated it was a critical part of the Commission’s mission to maintain and protect
the area, while also allowing access throughout Palo Alto.
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims asked how Mr. Schoenen would handle situations that citizens
felt strongly about, that have the potential to become heated discussions.
Mr. Schoenen expressed it was important to listen to the community and to look at all
information on a topic before making a decision that benefitted the community as a whole.
Councilmember Reckdahl questioned whether Mr. Schoenen had any suggestions on how the
Parks and Recreation Commission could better serve the teens in the community.
Mr. Schoenen, again, specified that it was important to listen to the community to determine
what needs were not being met by the Commission. The applicant believed there was a lot of
opportunity, ranging from theater to sports and other types of recreation.
NO ACTION
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 3 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
Public Comment
1. Lisa Van Dusen gave a presentation on Privately Owned Public Open Spaces (POPOS)
and spoke on behalf of 10 others. Lisa V. had been a long-time resident of Palo Alto with
many ties to the community. Between 1989 and 2013, 12 POPOS were developed out of
more than 100 that were zoned; 7 were located in the downtown area, 3 in the Mayfield
area, 1 in Midtown in Alma Village, and 1 at Edgewood Plaza. Examples of POPOS were
affordable housing, a grocery store, public art, street trees, parking, and open spaces.
PaloAltoPOPOS.org had an interactive map. Lisa V. highlighted the opportunities to
follow through on things in the ordinances, such as having benches. Lisa V. invited the
Council to the exhibition on display at Avenidas, and will follow up via email about the
reception. Lisa V. suggested having signage like in San Francisco and New York. Lisa V.
briefly walked through the pieces of the exhibition, including the “Public” buttons, pages
of the applicable ordinances, art and a video.
2. Sven T., a chemical engineer, noted that natural gas stoves produce cancer-causing
compounds called benzene and asthma-causing compounds called oxides of nitrogen.
Sven T. quoted Amory Lovins and opined it was easy to decarbonize a house when it
related to removing energy sources people did not see, such as water heaters or gas
furnaces. Sven T. believed the hesitancy to turning off gas lines in neighborhoods would
be removing natural gas stoves. Sven T. suggested the City needed a pro-induction stove
message and a negative message about the harmful impacts of using natural gas.
3. Sara T., the SEIU 521 Chapter Chair for the City of Palo Alto, spoke on behalf of Palo
Alto’s hourly workers. Sara T. noted the increase in the cost of living, including
necessities like food, shelter, clothing, and basic healthcare. Sara T. said that wages and
benefits had not increased for Palo Alto hourly employees. Sara T. asked Council to
stand with hourly workers in negotiations to support fair wages and benefits.
4. Winter D. provided updated information about Housing Authority’s revised plans for
Buena Vista, including issues Council directed staff to include in the amended regulatory
agreement. Winter D. urged Council to take action to ensure transparency, with
particular attention to the amended regulatory agreement. Winter D. wanted clarity
regarding multiple issues, including Housing Authority’s longer-term plans for Parcel A,
the plan for funds saved on the mobile home park, tree removal, and the reset of Buena
Vista’s 75-year deed restriction.
5. Avroh S., member of the Student Climate Coalition, appreciated the City’s preliminary
results on the Gas Transition Study and hoped the community could move away from
natural gas. Avroh S. discussed the passage of Colorado House Bill 25-1161. Avroh S.
suggested educating residents on the health detriments related to natural gas stoves
and was in support of an induction rebate.
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 4 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
6. Deborah G. was disappointed with the actions of some folks during the Vigil for Gaza on
the corner of Embarcadero and El Camino. Antisemitism training was needed.
Council Member Questions, Comments and Announcements
This afternoon, Councilmember Burt and the Mayor hosted the Housing Committee of the
German Parliament to learn about Palo Alto’s affordable housing programs and the challenges
the region faced related to housing impacts resulting from income inequalities. UNAFF runs
from October 16 through October 26. Councilmember Burt asked when Council could discuss
the changes the County Housing Authority made on the Buena Vista site.
City Manager Ed Shikada answered that staff was in consultation with the City Attorney and
there would be a discussion with the Mayor to determine the best next steps. No decision had
been made related to Council receiving an update and having a public meeting.
Councilmember Burt strongly recommended Council receive an update and that there be a
public meeting.
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims seconded Councilmember Burt’s request. Councilmember
Lythcott-Haims moderated a panel as part of the No Kings Day on October 18.
Mayor Lauing discussed the Code:ART event. The annual Downtown South block party occurred
on October 19. Mayor Lauing would participate in the Stanford General Use Permit process,
which would kick off October 23. It would be open to the public but RSVPs were required
through stanfordnext.stanford.edu.
Councilmember Stone wished the community a happy Diwali. Councilmember Stone and the
Vice Mayor attended a Diwali celebration last weekend.
Councilmember Reckdahl requested a session on Buena Vista.
Vice Mayor Veenker also requested a session on Buena Vista. Vice Mayor Veenker asked staff
to provide a high-level update on the amended regulatory agreement. Vice Mayor Veenker
reminded all to vote. Vice Mayor Veenker convened the Women in Nontraditional Careers
Panel at the Santa Clara County Women’s Leadership and Policy Summit at San Jose State on
October 18. The Code:ART dinosaur was impressive. Siblings Cities USA would do an online
town hall on October 26 related to what should be done about polarization. It was requested
that folks sign up in advance.
City Manager Shikada understood the Housing Authority was proceeding with a $24 million
onsite utility infrastructure investment, which would not preclude subsequent steps. There had
been initial discussions on updating the agreement.
Mayor Lauing commented that he would receive an internal briefing tomorrow afternoon.
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 5 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
Study Session
1. Cubberley Project: Receive an Update on Development of a Master Concept Plan and
Phasing; Review and Provide Feedback on Themes for the Second Poll; Receive an
Update on Strategic Activation Plan and Review an Update on the Workplan for the
Cubberley Master Plan in Consideration of a November 2026 Ballot Measure; CEQA
Status – the Master Plan will undergo CEQA review.
City Manager Ed Shikada announced that the project had made tremendous progress. City
Manager Shikada requested that Council provide feedback on the polling that would be done to
validate the direction and resident support for the Master Plan.
Community Services Director Kristen O’Kane supplied slides. The second poll would be released
in November, a third in February, and a fourth in April. It was requested that the contract be
amended to add the fourth poll. Staff would return to the PTC, ARB, PRC, and Council in
December with updates to the Master Plan and results of the second community poll. The goal
was to return in March with Master Plan and CEQA adoption. Regarding the Master Plan and
phasing, the final community meeting was held on September 17. There had been strong
community engagement with valuable input on programming and site circulation. There was
enthusiasm about program placement, especially the expanded sports and recreation center.
The phased approach was appreciated, particularly with regard to there being less disruption to
services and programs. There were positive comments about the café, outdoor spaces, flexible
spaces, parking and site circulation but participants also did not think parking and site
circulation worked well related to Phase 1. Participants wanted to get through the site safely,
naturally and easily. There was a concern that with phasing there would not be as many
programs available. The Master Plan represented a long-term vision for Cubberley. Phasing
would allow the site to be developed over time and minimize program disruption during
construction. There were funding limitations to do the full site at one time or consecutively. It
was felt that Phase 1 would be achievable through a successful ballot measure and support
from community partners.
Director O’Kane outlined what would be accomplished with each of the phases. Phase 1 would
include a recreation, wellness and performing arts center as well as programmable spaces for
education, visual arts and flexible uses. Parking locations within the renovation area were being
considered in case more parking was needed in Phase 1. Once there was a plan, it would be
presented to the Ad Hoc and then to Council. Phase 1 would allow for diverse programming,
flexible spaces adaptable to future use and potentially spaces for emergency services. Future
phases would complete the long-term vision for the site; however, the timing was unknown
because funding for Phases 2 and 3 had not been identified yet. Phase 1 would include a café-
type feature in the Recreation Wellness Center but an actual café area was planned for a later
phase.
Assistant Administrative Services Director Christine Paras mentioned the following ways that
feedback from the Cubberley Ad Hoc Committee and Council were incorporated. The goals of
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 6 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
the poll were refined to determine voters’ willingness to pay for a tax measure and get opinions
on priorities for the Cubberley campus. The Cubberley Vision Statement was included in the
questionnaire. Additional projects would potentially be packaged with the Cubberley ballot
measure. FM3 had drafted the poll outline, which would launch after next month’s election.
The results would be reviewed with the Ad Hoc in mid-November and with Council in
December. An additional poll would be conducted in February.
FM3 Consultant Miranda Everitt expressed that the second poll was designed to pair the dollar
amounts and test voters’ preferred scope of vision for the project. Each poll would build on
prior polls and Council direction. Slides were displayed showing the survey framework. FM3
wanted to look at the impacts of including additional potential projects. A list of potential uses
for the center would indicate what people were most passionate about. Folks would be
presented with reasons to support the measure and asked whether they were in support or
opposition.
Director O’Kane mentioned that next steps would include meeting with the PRC, Ad Hoc and
the full Commission in November, returning to Council in December, and continuing the CEQA
analysis and master planning concepts until staff returned to Council in March. The next poll
would be released in mid-November and results presented to Council in December. The third
and fourth polls would occur in early 2026. To encourage folks to visit Cubberley, a 3-month
family movie night series would begin in November.
City Manager Shikada noted it was an iterative process. The Master Plan identified what would
be achieved at the site, and the polling confirmed the interest level and the resources the
voters would be willing to support. The second poll should provide validation of the direction of
the master planning.
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims, Ad Hoc member, remarked that amazing progress had been
made. The poll would present the public with 2 different paths forward, ascertain the price
point folks would be willing to support and get a clearer sense of the preferred taxation vehicle.
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims asked what the cap price point was in the poll, because giving a
higher range may give folks appetite for the middle.
City Manager Shikada replied the cap price was $750 but Council could elect to raise it.
Councilmember Burt, Ad Hoc member, stated the Ad Hoc wanted to link the additional
payments in a tax to what it would provide. The table of existing long-term leases was
important. The Concordia plan appeared to address what folks wanted versus what was needed
and what should be prioritized.
Councilmember Reckdahl, Ad Hoc member, expressed the polling would help guide the right
sizing of the project. FM3’s listing of 4 potential projects was addressed. Councilmember
Reckdahl did not support replacing gas at Rinconada Pool. A park should be on the list as there
would be thousands of new residents on San Antonio.
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 7 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
Councilmember Stone agreed with the phased approach, activation over the years and
maintaining key services and programs while under construction but the concern was how to
fund it. Renaming the site could be a potential tool to help raise money for Phases 2 and 3.
Councilmember Stone requested space for a weight room be considered as there were no
affordable options within the city, which priced out a lot of folks.
City Manager Shikada responded that renaming could be a possible avenue in talking to
partners, organizations, and entities who might be interested in helping fund the facilities. It
would likely to be a second tier opportunity and would be discussed. As for a weight room,
although specific uses had been outlined in the diagrams, there was still work to be done on
deciding programming spaces. Community members identified concern about including a
weight room since such was provided by the private sector. It had been referred to as
recreation wellness in order to have more general programming rather than what might be
found in a commercial enterprise.
Vice Mayor Veenker encouraged exploring naming, which could help with budget issues. Vice
Mayor Veenker loved the phases, and the third phase being so attractive that it may compel
folks to find a way to accomplish it. The first Phase 3 slide showed a lot of open space and Vice
Mayor Veenker wondered if that could help satisfy the park concern.
City Manager Shikada explained the open space was intentional.
Director O’Kane added it was designed for larger outdoor community events and smaller places
for the community to gather. It was important to keep in mind this could provide some
recreation and parkland as the San Antonio Road Area plan was developed.
Mayor Lauing agreed with the phasing, the current priorities and the flexibility. The cap price
point should not be over $1000.
Councilmember Lu proposed structuring the tax in a more equitable way, whether parcel,
square footage or assessed value. Regarding polling, there could be a potential message about
supporting schools and naming rights to show faith in trying to get more done without a tax.
Councilmember Lu agreed with floating the list of projects outside Cubberley. Other than pool
heating, the list was great. Prioritizing uses was critical. The majority of those who participated
in workshops and gave public feedback were closely affiliated to existing tenants and uses.
Asking the larger community for their priorities may produce different results. Regarding uses,
consideration may be given to an RFP process or a way to get other stakeholders to contribute
ideas.
Referencing Slide 7, Councilmember Burt discussed the square footage and current occupants
of the indoor leased area. The buildings would become eligible for nonprofit partners.
Councilmember Reckdahl mentioned it was 9/10 of a mile from the commercial area by San
Antonio and Charleston to get to the front corner of Cubberley and over 1 mile to get to the
playing fields. The guidelines were 1/4 to 1/2 mile to every park.
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 8 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims stated the thousands of new residents were not yet on San
Antonio, so she was advocating on their behalf. Putting it into this effort may not sway current
voters. There needed to be a campaign related to the guidelines for park distance.
Mayor Lauing was relatively optimistic that a park could be carved out.
Public Comment:
1. Yudy D., PRC commissioner, board member of the Friends of Palo Alto Recreation and
Wellness Center and Cubberley user, supported the project. The Community Center was
not just a gym but a gathering place for all generations. On behalf of the Friends of Palo
Alto Recreation and Wellness Center, Yudy D. thanked all for their leadership and the
commitment to creating a healthier and more connected Palo Alto.
2. Marc G., owner/operator of Agile Physical Therapy, board member of the Friends of
Palo Alto Recreation and Wellness Center and fellow for the Concordia Group,
promoted the Recreation and Wellness Center and supported the project.
3. Jennifer D. was part of a citizens group of web designers, marketing folks and Cubberley
users. Jennifer D. was enthusiastically ready to move the project forward as soon as
possible and excited by the ideas and proposals being discussed.
Mayor Lauing inquired if Council wanted to make changes in the actions on the polls or
anything else.
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims requested staff comment on what might be on the list instead
of the heat pump water heater for the Rinconada pool. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims
explained why the cap price point should be more than $750.
Director O’Kane answered the Rinconada long-range plan was not currently funded and would
do more improvements at the pool besides upgrading the heat pump system.
City Manager Shikada added there was not a limit to the number of items that could be listed.
Staff wanted to identify the respondents’ reaction to additional projects and whether that
would make a difference in their support for the Cubberley project. The list should not include
anything expensive that would take away from the ability to deliver the Cubberley plan. The cap
price point could be increased.
Consultant Everitt addressed the cap price point and stated another data point could be added
to the survey.
Councilmember Burt felt framing something around the Rinconada Master Plan, which could
include the pool, might be appealing. It would be a small fraction of the bond measure, so
including it would not significantly alter the financial viability of the Cubberley plan. There had
not been strong support for putting 100 percent of dollars in the Mitchell Library but putting 80
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 9 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
percent of the dollars in the Mitchell Library and 20 percent in other libraries was supported.
Councilmember Burt supported the naming rights issue.
City Manager Shikada would proceed with increasing the cap price point and considering
something in the North County around initiation of the Rinconada Master Plan.
NO ACTION
Consent Calendar
2. Approval of Minutes from September 29 and October 6, 2025 Meetings
3. PUBLIC HEARING / QUASI-JUDICIAL. 70 Encina Avenue [25PLN-00034]: Request for
Approval of a Tentative Map to Merge Two Lots and Allow for a Condominium
Subdivision to Create 10 Units on the Resulting 12,119-Square-Foot Parcel. The
Subdivision Map Would Facilitate Construction of Ten New Residential Units in One
Building, which was previously approved on April 14, 2025 (24PLN-00095). CEQA Status:
Exempt from the Provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in
Accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15183 (Comprehensive Plan Consistency).
Zoning District: PC-5654.
4. PUBLIC HEARING: Finance Committee Recommends Adoption of Resolution Amending
Five Rate Schedules Setting Forth Utility Connection Fees and Other Charges: Utilities
Rate Schedule E-15 (Electric Service Connections), W-5 (Water Service Connections), G-5
(Gas Service Connections), S-5 (Sewer Service Connections) and C-1 (Utility
Miscellaneous Charges); CEQA Status: Not a Project Under CEQA Guidelines Sections
15378(b)(4) and (5) and Exempt Under Section 15273(a)
5. Approval of an Increase of Construction Contingency for Contract No. C24189237 with
SAK Construction, LLC in the amount of $1,000,000, funded by the Wastewater
Treatment Enterprise Fund for the Joint Intercepting Sewer Rehabilitation (Phase 1)
Project (WQ-24000), and Approval of Addendum 13 to the Basic Agreement Between
Mountain View, Los Altos, and Palo Alto for the Acquisition, Construction, and
Maintenance of a Joint Sewer System to Increase the Maximum Authorized Project
Funding of $8.9 million to $12.6 million; CEQA Status – Exempt under CEQA Guidelines
Section 15301 (Repairs to Existing Facilities)
6. Approval of Contract Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. C23187298C with Hinderliter,
de Llamas, and Associates (HdL) for Business Tax and Business Registry Certificate Fee
Administration Services in the Amount of $750,000 for Additional Administrative and
Operational Services and $2,120,000 Contingent Fees for a Revised Total Not-To-Exceed
Amount of $2,870,000, to Extend the Term by Two Years to June 30, 2028, and Approve
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 10 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
a Budget Amendment in the General Fund (Requires 2/3 vote); CEQA Status – Not a
Project
7. Approve Contract Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. C25193598 with Fairbank, Maslin,
Maullin, Metz, and Associates (FM3) in the Amount of $26,775 for one Additional Poll
(Four Polls, Total) for the Potential November 2026 Ballot Measure for a Total Not to
Exceed Amount of $153,000 and Approve Budget Amendments in the General Fund and
the Cubberley Property Infrastructure Fund; CEQA Status: Not a Project
8. Approval of Five Items to Support the Fire Station 4 Replacement Project PE-18004: 1)
Construction Contract Number No. C26194287 with Beals Martin and Associates, Inc. in
an Amount Not to Exceed $11,530,676 and Authorization for the City Manager or Their
Designee to Negotiate and Execute Change Orders to the Contract up to a Not-to-
Exceed Amount $1,153,067; 2) Contract Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. S24188865
with Schaaf & Wheeler Consulting Civil Engineers to Extend the Contract Term Through
April 30, 2027; 3) Contract Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. S23185811 with Earth
Systems Pacific, Inc. to Extend the Contract Term Through February 28, 2027; 4)
Amendment No. 1 to Contract C21179569 with Brown Reynolds Watford Architects, Inc.
to Add $41,366, Increasing the Not-to-Exceed Amount to $838,514 and Extend the
Contract Term Through June 30, 2027 for Construction Support Services; and (5)
Amendment No. 1 to Contract C24189293A with Cumming Management Group, Inc. to
Extend the Contract Term Through August 31, 2027; CEQA Status - Exempt under CEQA
Guidelines Sections 15302 and 15303
9. Approval of Construction Contract C26195058 with JJR Construction, Inc. in an Amount
Not to-Exceed $1,281,689 and Authorization for the City Manager or Their Designee to
Negotiate and Execute Change Orders for Related Additional but Unforeseen Work that
May Develop During the Project Up to a Not-to-Exceed Amount of $128,169 for the
Fiscal Year 2026 Sidewalk, Curb & Gutter Project, Capital Improvement Program Projects
PO-89003 and PO-12001; CEQA Status – Exempt under Section 15301(c)
10. Approval of a 10-Year License Agreement with La Comida de California for Operation of
a Senior Nutrition Program and Meal Service in a Portion of the City-owned Building
Located at 445 Bryant Street; CEQA Status – Exempt under CEQA Guidelines sections
15301 and 15303
11. Adoption of a Resolution to Extend the City’s Participation in the Northern California
Power Agency’s Support Services Program for Another 10 Years to 2037, Designating
Authorized Signatories, and Updating Contracting Authority to Align with the Municipal
Code; CEQA Status – Not a Project
12. Approval of the Dispatch Center Assessment Report as Recommended by the Policy &
Services Committee.
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 11 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
13. Approval of Professional Services Contract Number C26194598 with Thomas Sarsfield in
the Amount Not to Exceed $660,000 for Providing Tennis Instruction Services for
Seasonal Classes and Summer Camp Sessions for a Period of Five Years; CEQA Status -
Not a Project.
14. Approval of Contract Number C25194217 with Veteran Pipeline Construction in the
Amount of $8,962,204 for the Gas Main Replacement Project 25 (GS-15000) in the
Duveneck/St. Francis, Leland Manor, Midtown, and Palo Verde neighborhoods;
Authorization for the City Manager to Negotiate and Execute Related Change Orders
Not-to-Exceed of $896,221 for a Total Not-to-Exceed Amount of $9,858,425; NEPA
status - B5.4 categorical exclusion; CEQA status — Exempt under CEQA Guidelines
15302 (Replacement or Reconstruction of Existing Facilities).
15. SECOND READING: Adoption of Eight Ordinances Amending Various Sections of the Palo
Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) Related to the 2025 California Building Standards Code (CA
Code of Regulations Title 24) Update, including: (1) Chapter 16.04 Incorporating the
2025 CA Building Code With Local Amendments; (2) Chapter 16.05 Incorporating the
2025 CA Mechanical Code With Local Amendments; (3) Chapter 16.06 Incorporating the
2025 CA Residential Code With Local Amendments; (4) Chapter 16.08 Incorporating the
2025 CA Plumbing Code With Local Amendments; (5) Chapter 16.14 Incorporating the
2025 CA Green Building Standards Code with Local Amendments; (6) Chapter 16.16
Incorporating the 2022 CA Electrical Code With Local Amendments; (7) Chapter 16.18
Incorporating the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code With Local
Amendments; (8) Chapter 16.17 Incorporating the 2025 CA Energy Code With Local
Amendments; CEQA Status: Exempt Under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15061(b)(3) and
15308. (FIRST READING: October 6, 2025, PASSED: 6-0-1, Lauing absent)
AA2. Approval of Appointment and Employment Agreement with Stephen Lindsey as Fire
Chief; CEQA Status – Not a Project New Item Added
Mayor Lauing queried if the quasi-judicial 70 had been replaced by a new quasi-judicial 70. Item
AA2 had been added to the Consent Calendar, which would be voted on.
City Manager Ed Shikada confirmed that Item 3 in the revised packet was correct.
MOTION: Vice Mayor Veenker moved, seconded by Councilmember Reckdahl to approve
Agenda Item Numbers 2-15 and AA2.
Public Comment:
1. Herb B. had not seen a revised packet for the public to review and requested removal of
Item 3. Herb B. had not seen PTC meeting minutes approved since August 27. It was
indicated there had been no public comments for the December 29 [sic] meeting but
Herb B. had submitted a letter about his concerns with the Staff Report and Record of
Land Use action.
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 12 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
Appointed Fire Chief Stephen Lindsey was excited to accept the role and was committed to the
community and the Fire Department. Chief Geo Blackshire’s service was recognized. Chief
Blackshire thanked the City Manager, Council, the executive leadership team, partner agencies
and his family and mentors.
City Manager Comments
City Manager Ed Shikada announced the Public Safety Building grand opening would occur on
November 16. Upcoming events would include a crime and safety presentation on October 22
and a San Antonio Road Plan meeting on October 23. An Urban Land Institute panel would be
held on October 24 in Council chambers and online (details to follow). The Charleston rail
crossing safety improvements would be addressed on October 28. The annual Storm
Preparedness Workshop would occur on October 30. A Heat Pump Water Heater Day Happy
Hour was planned for October 23. A slide displayed a listing of Halloween events. A Halloween
community guide could be found at paloalto.gov/news. Council’s special meeting on October
22 would include the proposed residential development at Lot T, best practices managing
consultant services, the Downtown Housing Plan and Senate Bill 79. Regular Council meetings
were scheduled for November 3, 10 and 17. November 3 would include the Wildfire Audit
Report and Council’s 2026 calendar. The Dark Skies ordinance, 660 University Avenue proposed
development and the Rail Committee’s quiet zone recommendations would be addressed on
November 10. The turf study and proposed 340 Portage affordable housing development were
expected to come forward on November 17.
[Council took a 27-minute break]
Action Items
16. Policy and Services Committee Recommendation to the City Council to Approve a
Phased Approach to Address Oversized Vehicle (Including Recreational Vehicle) Impacts,
Particularly Relating to Individuals Living in Vehicles and Approve Budget Amendments
in various funds; CEQA status – categorically exempt.
Assistant to the City Manager Melissa McDonough stated this issue included homelessness,
public space management and community wellbeing. This work addressed the 2025 Council
Priority on implementing housing strategies for social and economic balance. Staff identified
feasible regulatory approaches to manage the use of public space and policy solutions to
expand safe parking options. The effort balanced compassion, livability and public safety to
help the most vulnerable residents and responded to increasing complaints and impacts to
neighborhoods and streets. According to the 2025 point-in-time (PIT) count, there were 418
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 13 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
unhoused individuals of which 73 percent were in vehicles (compared to 37 percent
countywide) and 168 vehicles (29 cars, 120 RVs, and 19 vans). The Homekey interim shelter was
anticipated to open in early 2026. The Safe Parking Program had 22 RV spaces at Geng Road
and 14 vehicles spaces at congregation-based sites. Since 2017, $57 million had been invested
in affordable housing, including $5 million this year for the 130-unit Charities Housing Project.
Recent efforts included enhanced renter protections, an outreach team for service support and
referrals, and law enforcement coordination. The City had entitled 401 below-market-rate units
with more on the way. There were over 2000 existing affordable units.
The growing presence of OSVs on public streets was concerning. The Policy and Services
Committee (PSC) recommendation to mitigate the impacts of vehicle dwellers was included in
the Staff Report as the motion. The recommendation included an ordinance to prohibit
detached/inoperable vehicles on public streets, an ordinance to prohibit vanlording, and a
phased approach. Phase 1: Street cleanups, consider a buyback program, and expand safe
parking options. Phase 2: Design a small-scale enhanced services pilot, begin exploration of
limiting OSV parking to certain streets, and consider a permit program. Phase 3: Approve the
enhanced services pilot, approve the preferred option for expanded safe parking, and identify
streets for OSV parking. Phase 4: Evaluate the enhanced services pilot, implement expanded
safe parking, and Council approval and implementation of limiting OSV parking to certain
streets.
Regarding the PSC’s recommendation to explore an OSV parking permit program, City Manager
Ed Shikada stated that staff was evaluating the following: A temporary pilot program to permit
OSVs to park on 1 or a limited number of streets (ordinance required). Limit permits to a
monthly or other short duration and require valid vehicle registration. Permit renewal would
require no parking citations or other regulation infractions. This pilot could be advanced with
Phase 1.
Assistant to the City Manager McDonough remarked that the phased approach would
accommodate some OSV parking demand while increasing regulations to manage impacts, and
was responsive to varied community perspectives. New resources and reprioritization of
existing staff work were required to handle coordination, administration and implementation. A
slide was furnished detailing the actions, estimated duration and cost of Phases 1 through 4.
Staff recommended Council approve the PSC’s recommended phased approach and approve
budget amendments for work to start immediately. Staff recognized the tension between
maintaining public space for all and offering dignity and stability to vehicle dwellers.
Vice Mayor Veenker guided the PSC’s discussion of this item in August and reported the
following. The PSC was aware of the significant increases of vehicle dwellers and the associated
safety issues and challenges, as well as the frustration and serious concerns of community
members. It was an unsustainable situation for businesses, residents and RV dwellers. The PSC
considered the 10 options outlined in the August staff report and the suggestion to adopt a
phased implementation approach. The PSC took note of the restrictions to comply with the law.
A pending federal appellate decision would likely impact this area. The PSC recommended
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 14 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
looking for additional off-street RV parking options because it was good for public health and
safety, businesses, residents and RV dwellers, and result in a more lasting and sustainable effort
than any of the other alternatives. If RV dwellers were removed from RVs, many may end up on
the streets. The PSC discussed relying on better enforcement of parking regulations but it may
not be easy. The PSC suggested that the City partner with private businesses to lease unused
parking lots, allow RVs in the Safe Parking Program and in church lots during the week. The PSC
considered addressing certain public health and safety issues immediately, such as garbage and
waste cleanup. The PSC voted 2-1 to limit OSV parking to certain streets, with Vice Mayor
Veenker disagreeing because it would pick winners and losers as to which streets would bear
the burden.
Councilmember Reckdahl requested that staff break down the cost associated with Phase 1.3.
Councilmember Reckdahl asked if signage could be limited to locations where RVs were a
problem and how broad the signage would be for additional parking restrictions and the type of
restrictions.
Assistant to the City Manager McDonough displayed Slide 15 detailing the cost overview.
Signage to limit OSVs parking to certain streets was proposed for FY 2027.
Public Works Director Brad Eggleston answered the street sweeping signage estimate was for
increased street sweeping where there was OSV presence. The cost included materials and
labor. Engineering was a separate line item. The $4.2 million estimate was for signage needed
throughout the city for additional parking restrictions. Every block would have multiple signs.
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims requested that Slide 15 break out the cost of regulation and
enforcement, safe parking, buyback and services. As a matter of fiscal responsibility, options
cannot be compared without knowing how many dollars would be spent on each approach.
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims was unclear on what administration/implementation meant.
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims questioned the FY 2027 amounts for safe parking and buyback.
The $135,000 for expanded safe parking appeared low. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims thought
the safe parking projection should be for 100 to 200 spaces, whatever the PIT RV count was.
Assistant to the City Manager McDonough responded the expanded safe parking, RV buyback
program and RV storage site were the least well known of the costs because it depended on a
number of variables, with the FY 2027 amounts being staff’s best guesses. The
administration/implementation cost was for support and implementation of the body of work.
The rest of the costs for FY 2026 were associated with street sweeping and cleaning primarily
and a small incremental amount related to signage for inoperable vehicles. The $135,000 for
expanded safe parking may have been incremental additional amounts for operations but did
not include costs for leases, etc. Deputy City Manager Gaines was consulting with folks to get
some numbers. The FY 2026 items were the most certain, which were being requested as a
budget amendment today and necessary for immediate actions requested by the PSC.
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 15 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
Deputy City Manager Chantal Cotton Gaines added that the line item for expanded safe parking
was the approximate FY 2027 cost for about 22 parking spaces of an RV Safe Parking Program
based on current operations at Geng Road, assuming some work to get a site together for a
similar program and size as the Geng Road or Move Mountain View program. FY 2028 reflected
operational cost to the City for 1 year at the Geng Road site.
Councilmember Burt asked how many vehicles had been towed, what the City had spent on
towing in the last year and if there were restrictions on towing inoperable and unregistered
vehicles.
Police Lieutenant Kara Apple answered 25 vehicles were towed in 2025 at a cost of $15,000
(half of the $30,000 budget). It had been a longstanding practice to gain compliance rather than
towing vehicles. Dedicated staff responded to complaints of vehicles parked over 72 hours and
those vehicles marked and rechecked. If a vehicle was in violation, it could be towed and/or
cited. Occupied vehicles were the biggest consideration. Most inoperable vehicles had been
removed but there were some challenging situations. The work was a slow process because
staff was working with the Homeless Outreach Team. There were weekly meetings. Every
situation was unique and the goal was to get folks into services and in compliance rather than
removing someone’s home.
City Manager Shikada replied that vehicles with registrations over 6 months expired could be
towed; however, the availability of tow resources varied on a daily or weekly basis. There had
been a practice of not towing occupied vehicles and instead to offer services and outreach.
Councilmember Burt pointed out that the current practices had not come to Council for
endorsement and were concerning. There had been a tripling of RVs. Businesses continued to
report inoperable vehicles with numerous citations and provided photographs and
documentation. Often, those vehicles had health and safety problems. There was no data
related to the degree of sewage problems. Councilmember Burt wanted to know what actions
could be taken under existing regulations before considering new regulations. Councilmember
Burt believed there should be stronger enforcement of existing regulations for the most
egregious violators.
Lieutenant Apple stated there were severe cases that had not moved. Tow companies had been
expanded. Lieutenant Apple mentioned there had been an incredible amount of outreach
during the Moonlight Run with LifeMoves and the Homeless Outreach Team helping with
repairs, paying parking citations, etc.
Councilmember Burt noted that with the Moonlight Run there had been movement of vehicles
that could not be accomplished through any other mechanism, which showed it could be done.
Councilmember Stone was on the Policy & Services Committee. At the August Policy & Services
Committee meeting, many frustrated residents and business owners commented that when
police were contacted the officers had said their hands were tied because of City policies and
Council. Councilmember Stone inquired what the issue was with enforcement. If officers felt
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 16 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
their hands were tied, Council should get that feedback so policies could be addressed and
officers should be provided a refresher to gain a clear understanding of policies.
Councilmember Stone requested Assistant Police Chief Reifschneider address the need for an
additional full-time officer. Councilmember Stone wondered if the footnote on Page 518 of the
Staff Report applied to the full point-in-time (PIT) count or the vehicle count.
Assistant Police Chief James Reifschneider responded there was a preference for services over
impound for occupied OSVs. Officers should not approach the situation saying their hands were
tied and nothing could be done. The 2 issues were getting vehicles to move in compliance with
the 72-hour notice and addressing blight issues. In 2025, over 200 nuisance citations were
issued associated with OSVs, garbage, etc. Work was being done with the District Attorney’s
office to bundle citations to prosecute chronic violators. The cost for an additional full-time
officer accounted for new investigative work to identify RVs fitting criteria in the proposed
vanlording ordinance (banning rental of RVs on city streets). Without knowing the extent of the
problem, it was not known if that cost could be absorbed into existing investigative resources.
Assistant to the City Manager McDonough answered that the footnote on Page 518 applied to
the full PIT count.
Hilary Armstrong, Deputy Director with the Office of Supportive Housing for the County of
Santa Clara, added regarding the footnote on Page 518, the vendor and methodology for the
2025 PIT count had changed. A report on the County’s website described the methodology
change.
Councilmember Stone inquired if work had been done to apply the 2025 methodology to the
2023 numbers.
Deputy Director Armstrong answered work had not been done to apply the 2025 methodology
to the 2023 numbers, which would be difficult because the methodology was entirely different.
All reports included the data of homelessness inflow, meaning the folks who were seeking
services. Combined with other data, the trends were similar with the new PIT count
methodology in most cases and the causes of homelessness aligned with what had been seen.
Mayor Lauing commented that a major contributor to the OSV surge was moving vehicles off El
Camino Real for the bike lanes. The volume of the problem needed to be addressed. There
should be specific, stepped-up and well-known enforcement tied to the new programs, such as
a permit for temporary housing tied to registration, being a good neighbor, etc. The San
Francisco project was intriguing and Palo Alto having such an arrangement would make it clear
what could and could not be enforced. Serious consideration should be given to towing for
violations. Mayor Lauing questioned the process for a business to allow safe parking in their lot,
why the City had to lease property from interested owners and what change needed to be
made to the ordinance if a private property owner wanted to allow safe parking spots in their
lot. Mayor Lauing realized there were practical limitations to street cleaning. Mayor Lauing
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 17 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
queried if Portland and Mountain View had success with free pump-out services. Mayor Lauing
expressed that citizens needed to understand the tradeoffs on where dollars were spent.
City Manager Shikada replied staff did not want to assume it was possible for a property owner
to allow the use and take on the ownership of operating safe parking.
Planning and Development Services Director Jon Lait responded it was a public process that
reflected existing City policy for the Safe Parking Program. The Council could enact a policy
creating more flexibility for an expanded Safe Parking Program on commercial lots but first the
language would need to be drafted.
City Manager Shikada said the basic premise for failure to move for street sweeping was an
immediate justification for towing.
Assistant to the City Manager McDonough recalled that Mountain View had a pilot pump-out
service and decided to pursue other options at the end of the pilot because there was not great
uptake. Portland’s program had better uptake but relied on federal dollars, so the program
closed when the dollars disappeared.
Related to towing, Councilmember Lu questioned what changed in the policy, vendors or
volumes since 2024. Councilmember Lu requested staff speak to the current state of street
sweeping. Reference was made to the news media and San Francisco needing to do signage.
Councilmember Lu asked if staff was sure of the necessary commitments related to signage and
the cost. Councilmember Lu wondered if there could be an ordinance to allow long-term RV
parking on residential lots for single-family homes.
Lieutenant Apple reiterated the previously described longstanding practice with parking and
towing. As the problem intensified and more complaints were received concerning blight, work
began with LifeMoves to connect folks to services. There were 3 tow vendors on the rotation
list. The condition of the vehicle and available space sometimes dictated whether a company
could tow. More resources had been directed to do outreach to determine which OSVs were
occupied rather than doing the parking services cyclical work of going out and marking vehicles.
Three sworn officers had been added. Dedicated staffing, a Sergeant and 2 Special Problems
Officers were directed to work on this proactively 100 percent of their time when possible.
City Manager Shikada added that the Police Department, Public Works, Community Services
and other City departments coordinated the work involved to address the increased volume of
concerns raised and observed activity. Parking was not prohibited during sweet sweeping.
City Attorney Molly Stump cautioned when Cities were in the process of enacting and
implementing regulations it was dangerous to make assumptions based on news media reports.
San Francisco needed signage. The ordinance was for a 2-hour limitation but a refuse permit
was readily available for every OSV present when the City did a special count in May so all
current OSVs could remain. Signage was not first on the implementation list. Rather, San
Francisco was implementing its permit program, which was resource-intensive and expensive.
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 18 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
Regarding long-term RV parking on residential lots, the current ordinance was no OSV parking
between 2 and 6 a.m. on public streets, which was not enforced because it was not signed as
required by the State Vehicle Code. There was not a high need to add signage because it was
not occurring in the residential zones.
Councilmember Lu believed he saw text that indicated otherwise but would follow up offline if
that was correct.
Councilmember Reckdahl requested staff speak about the process for getting folks into
Homekey from an RV and what would happen to the RV. Councilmember Reckdahl queried if
the County had space for those who wanted to enter transitional housing.
City Manager Shikada answered transitional housing was part of the overall continuum of care
services provided and coordinated by the County.
Deputy City Manager Gaines added that the shelter bed system was day-by-day where people
called the hotline to determine if a bed was available at the time. The City was working with
LifeMoves on an outreach plan to RV dwellers and anyone interested in Homekey. The more
individuals who were interacted with would allow for a higher probability of getting more Palo
Altans into Homekey when it opened.
Deputy Director Armstrong stated that someone could get into a shelter the same day if there
was space available for the household type. The County hotline took into account the individual
client’s geographic preferences. Shelters had waiting lists. The shortest wait was about 40 days
for family shelter space but the wait could be longer for single adults. Shelter programs
generally did not have RV storage, which was a challenge that needed to be explored. The
County had flex funds and housing problem-solving funds for shelter diversion that potentially
could go toward RV storage. There needed to be a system-wide approach in partnership with
Cities. Outreach teams for County emergency shelters were out every day. Folks could contact
the Here4You Hotline. RV dwellers could be assessed for rapid rehousing or permanent
supportive housing opportunities, if available, without going through a shelter. Through the
2016 Measure A, Affordable Housing Bond, more affordable housing was being built and folks
were eligible for placement countywide by going through coordinated entry and having their
vulnerability score matched with a housing opportunity.
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims questioned where the biggest safe parking lots were in the
county and how many vehicles were served.
Deputy Director Armstrong needed to look up the capacity of safe parking lots but believed the
largest were in San Jose and Mountain View.
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 19 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
Public Comment:
1. Barry K. delivered a slide presentation on behalf of the following Ventura neighborhood
residents: Victor L., Teresa F., Bambi F., Carla W., Caleb H., Veronica W., Lissy B., Byron
B., Rahael Z., Guilia Z., and William M. Barry K. felt that City Government had
responsibility to those who paid rent and mortgages, and worked in businesses and
offices. A map was shown of 168 oversized vehicles parked in residential and
commercial neighborhoods in Palo Alto. Barry K. was concerned the suggested phased
approach would double the amount of OSVs by inviting RV dwellers to move to Palo Alto
where they would receive enhanced services, street cleaning, sanitation, hygiene, police
and fire protection at no cost, and park wherever they wanted because there was no
ability to enforce it. Barry K. invited the City to reach out to him and the Ventura
Neighbors Association, which was one of the most profoundly impacted neighborhoods.
Of particular concern was the proposal to allow RV parking on designated streets. The
report identified Park Boulevard as not adjacent to residential or schools, which Barry K.
noted was a misstatement. The Ventura neighborhood was unhappy about turning Park
Boulevard into an RV parking lot. Barry K. proposed enforcing the law, aggressively if
necessary. Barry K. was in favor of a balanced approach to this problem but opined that
was not reflected in the staff report recommendation. Barry K. wanted the City Manager
and staff to propose a set of solutions that worked for everyone.
2. Larry G. spoke on behalf of Becky S., Ellen H., Scott V., and Francine G. The unhoused
problem was a serious, long-term issue. Larry G. had lived in the Ventura neighborhood
for 21 years and observed streets full of parked RVs, sewage and waste. Larry’s daughter
told him she was scared to walk down Park Boulevard by herself. Regarding SB 1000 and
environmental justice, a disproportionate burden was placed on a couple of
neighborhoods. The signage in the area said “no overnight parking” but was not being
enforced. In the short term, Larry G. urged the City to enforce existing laws and tow
those vehicles, and come up with a better long-term solution.
3. Justin H. spoke on behalf of the RV community, Reece H., Oscar J., Lucy J., Miguel J., and
Shane R. Justin H. and about 12 other RVs paid $15 per RV for pump-out service. Efforts
were made to provide footage to the Palo Alto Police Department of people who drive
by, open their tanks, dump and drive off but were told it was hard to enforce because
the police did not witness it. Justin H. thought a pump-out service and street sweeping
could make the most difference. Justin H.’s concern with the phased approach was that
enforcements and restrictions came before services to help RV dwellers get out of their
situation. Justin H. wondered how often the designated streets for parking would
change. Justin H. wondered what people were supposed to do if living in detached
trailers was banned. Expanding Safe Parking would be appreciated if it was not far from
services including transportation; the current location was out of the way. For those
without cars, it was dangerous to walk and cross over 101 to get to services, grocery
stores and the hospital. Justin H. could not continue working at his present job if he
moved to the current Safe Parking lot because he used transportation services to get to
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 20 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
and from work. Most people he knew living on the streets would love to stay in town at
a Safe Parking; they did not feel safe on the streets because people scream and throw
things at them.
4. Janet H. delivered a slide presentation of the conditions on Corporation Way where she
worked and noted this problem had worsened in the last year. Janet H. and several of
her fellow employees present tonight did not feel safe walking on Corporation Way.
Janet H. called nonemergency when she saw people dump their RVs from buckets or
hoses into the sewer but the response never arrived in time. RVs and vehicles blocked
the fire hydrants on the street. Janet H. had video of an RV that caught fire earlier this
year next to her building, in front of the Google building. The RVs had loud generators
constantly running throughout the day. Janet H. walked daily from one end of
Corporation Way to the other end to take outgoing mail, walking over human and
animal feces and noted the bushes smelled of human urine. Janet H. felt very
uncomfortable and unsafe, and she urged the Council to do something.
5. Scott H. operated a business on Embarcadero Way where long-term RV parking had
been impacting their ability to operate and he had lost business. Scott H. recognized
that housing insecurity was a growing challenge in our region, and he was not judging or
dismissing those who were experiencing homelessness but serious safety, sanitation,
and business concerns should not be overlooked. Scott H.’s clients have said they felt
uncomfortable and unsafe visiting his facility. Employees had to navigate around RVs
that often remain parked for weeks or months, no matter how often they called to
report it. Scott H. witnessed sewage and wastewater dumped directly into street gutters
that flow into the Baylands, one of Palo Alto’s most sensitive environmental areas, so
this was a public health and environmental hazard. Scott H. pointed out that not doing
anything was neglect, not compassion. Scott H. urged the Council to take action now.
Scott H.’s preference was to ban overnight RV parking in the city. Scott H.’s business had
been operating in Palo Alto since the mid-70s and he was proud to be a part of the
community; however, without timely and thoughtful action, the City risked not only
harming the environment but also losing the trust of those who lived, worked, and did
business in Palo Alto.
6. Herb B. pointed out that the Municipal Code was inconsistent on the need for signage.
The section on 2 A.M. to 6 A.M. said signs were not necessary but in the first section of
the chapter it said signs were needed. Herb B. did not understand why there would be a
City cost for towing; there may be a staff charge but the owner had to pay the towing
charge to retrieve their towed vehicle. Herb B. walked through Residential Parking
Permit areas and saw signs stating “no parking from 8 A.M. to 10 P.M.” a week in
advance of street sweeping. The prohibition of oversized parking in residential zones
only listed R zones but Herb B. believed that the BRIDGE housing on Fabian, The
Greenhouse on San Antonio, and the affordable housing project in the CS District should
be treated the same way as other residential zones. When the Opportunity Center was
being built, overnight parking was banned on Encina Avenue, which was not part of the
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 21 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
code but the City Manager had the ability to temporarily (at least for 4 months) put in
parking restrictions subject to the Council extending it or approving it later, so Herb B.
thought that may be a solution to impose a ban on parking. The City may have the
vehicle registration and driver’s license of people in those vehicles, which could be used
to view what cities they came from and how long they had been in Palo Alto.
7. John S. has had a woodworking business in Palo Alto for over 40 years and had been on
Embarcadero Way for 32 years. John S. was unable to receive deliveries to his shop
because of the proximity of parked RVs next to his driveway access. John S. stated that
sewage on the sidewalks and dumping it down had gotten out of hand. John S. said that
the City had not empowered the police to enforce the signs. John S. spoke to the Traffic
Division Sergeant and was told there was nothing they could do. John S. invited the
Council to come to Embarcadero Way and talk to the people in the RVs and the business
owners. John S. noted the Palo Alto Airport rented space to store Audis for the Audi
dealership, so he suggested putting RVs at the Palo Alto Airport. John S. urged the City
to take action.
8. Roger S. counted at least 220 RVs. Menlo Park, San Mateo, and Cupertino had banned
RVs. The staff report mentioned that staff would come back with this issue at a regular
meeting after seeking input from the RV dwellers group, service providers, a
representative of Stanford University, members of the faith-based community, City
staff, City Council, and a Human Relations Commissioner but did not include talking to
businesses, employees, homeowners, and residents. Roger S. did not feel it was right
that the business community had no voice. Last year, 25 were towed. Roger S. urged the
City to follow the law and ban the campers.
9. Dana D. biked as his primary transportation around Palo Alto, particularly on Park where
the RV parking situation had been bad for a long time. Even though there were signs
along the road saying you cannot park overnight, the same vehicles were parked there
every night. Dana D. had been on Park during the “no parking” hours and called to
report it but never saw evidence of anything being done. Dana D. volunteered at Silicon
Valley Bike Exchange on Corporation Way. Dana D. echoed Councilmember Burt’s earlier
remarks that areas could be cleared when we dedicated ourselves to enforce the
current ordinances. Dana D. thought it may not be necessary to pass any ordinances,
and it especially may not be necessary to create new services that were costly and
complex to administer. Dana D. suggested thinking about the incentives being created
under the proposal. Creating someplace for RVs to park would free up the space they
were in for other people to park if the City did not focus first on enforcing the current
ordinances and any stricter regulations that had been proposed, such as no parking
overnight anywhere. Dana D. believed enforcement was indispensable.
10. Victor S., President of Victor Aviation Services on Embarcadero Way, stated his company
had been significantly impacted by the congestion and business interference caused by
the City’s lack of controlling RV parking on Embarcadero Way. Victor S. suggested
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 22 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
painting the curbs red in areas where RVs were restricting companies from doing
business. Victor S. offered to buy a can of red paint and a brush. Since 1977, Victor
Aviation Services had been providing aircraft engine distribution and service, and relied
on domestic truck carriers on a weekly basis. Those truck deliveries were being delayed
and often did not occur because truck drivers could not make the necessary turns to
access the parking lot entrance due to the RV congestion on Embarcadero Way. As a
result, truck drivers would park on Embarcadero Road and a forklift must be sent to
unload and load the deliveries, and the temporary blockage on Embarcadero Road and
Embarcadero Way created a traffic hazard. This caused an additional cost for Victor’s
company and delays for critical-mission customers who were waiting for their products
to be delivered or serviced. Victor’s customers included government defense,
ambulance and medical transport, and the City of Palo Alto. When Victor’s employees
drive to work, the children who were living in those RVs have suddenly popped out on
their bikes in front of cars and had almost been hit. To prevent this, Victor S. suggested
getting the Fire Department involved, study and open up access to businesses, and
protect them.
11. Richard H. represented the ownership team of an R&D building on Embarcadero Road
and a medical device company where they were facing serious safety and sanitation
issues from the 2 dozen RVs parked on an average day along Embarcadero Way and in
front of his building. The unsanitary practices included those vehicles dumping trash and
human waste into the City’s storm drain system, compromising public health. Those
vehicles obstructed visibility for drivers and pedestrians, which created hazardous
conditions for employees, visitors and delivery services. It was nearly impossible to see
approaching traffic when exiting the parking lot. The RVs contributed noise pollution
and caused security concerns for tenants and visitors. Richard H. was concerned that the
staff report did not adequately address the concerns of property owners and tenants,
nor did it fully account for the broader economic impact that he believed far exceeded
the nearly $6 million projected increase in budgeted cost. Richard H. urged the Council
to take decisive action by adopting rules similar to other Bay Area jurisdictions and focus
on ways to ensure RVs do not remain overnight on any public residential and
commercial streets. Concentrating RVs on a few designated nonresidential streets
unfairly burdened certain neighborhoods and did not provide a sustainable or equitable
solution. Richard H. asked the Council to immediately pursue the first phase.
12. Eileen A., Associate Pastor of the First Congregational Church of Palo Alto located on the
corner of Embarcadero and Louis Roads, shared her church’s story as a reminder that
this community had a history of finding creative and humane ways to respond to the
needs of the unhoused. When the church was located on Hamilton and Waverley, a
former associate pastor lobbied to put a porta potty in the parking lot behind the CVS to
serve the sanitation needs of their unhoused neighbors. That associate pastor along
with others in their church and several other congregations in Palo Alto helped to found
the Urban Ministry of Palo Alto as a response to serve the increasing numbers of
unhoused neighbors in need. Eileen A. noted that punitive enforcement actions would
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 23 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
not meet the needs of those RV dwellers to have safe and affordable shelter. Eileen A.
did not know what should be done to meet RV dwellers’ needs but was hopeful the City
would find creative solutions.
13. Drew N. with Peninsula Healthcare Connection saw RV dwellers at the clinic every day,
who he viewed as part of the community and residents of Palo Alto. The clinic felt it was
important to humanize their patients. Many folks were not in attendance tonight to
represent themselves or their RV communities because of fear, anxiety, depression,
repeated trauma, and systemic and chronic stigma for being a nonconventional resident
of Palo Alto, which were the direct words the clinic had heard from their patients. The
clinic treated the person as a whole, not only the condition, which could not be done if
patients were not humanized.
14. Dmitri S. lived at the East Meadow Circle Echelon Community. Palo Alto was known for
its great school district, so Dmitri S. moved here with his wife to get their daughter in a
Palo Alto school. Dmitri S. worked 3 jobs, travelled 3 hours one way, and lived with
many roommates in the most affordable place he could find. Dmitri S. urged the Council
not to kill this beautiful city or destroy the great school district. Dmitri S. did not
understand who the Council was representing, whether it was the residents of Palo Alto
or whoever came to Palo Alto. Dmitri S. spoke to some police officers who told him to
ask the City to let them do their job. Dmitri S. urged the City to do their job.
15. Eric C. was a resident and homeowner in the Echelon Community. When this RV issue
was first presented to the City in a meeting on May 29, residents were told to continue
reporting cases and let the police handle the enforcement. Since then, the Echelon
Community had been reporting illegal RV parking along East Meadow Circle. Eric C.
opined that today’s staff proposal lacked the element of enforcement, as more effort
was put on enhanced services. A long-term solution was needed. Existing regulations
should be followed, and Eric C. wanted the City to let the officers enforce the law. Eric C.
felt it was okay to increase the budget for enforcement to address this issue. Other
Cities were pushing for enforcement. Palo Alto was the only City not willing to push for
enforcement and instead was talking about an increased spending budget for enhanced
services, which would make the problem worse instead of solving the problem.
16. Mary W. was on the Board of Heart and Home Collaborative. RV parking had become
more visible after the lane changes on El Camino, which reflected the lack of wage
increases to match the housing costs in Palo Alto. Heart and Home had operated a cold
weather women’s shelter in Palo Alto since 2014, and Mary W. had noticed trends of
increasing age of shelter participants and first-time homelessness. According to UCSF
data throughout the region, people living outside who were over the age of 50 had
increased from 11 percent in 1991 to 51 percent in 2021. Older people had mobility and
health challenges including chronic conditions that often deteriorated without shelter.
In recent years, the shelter had been working with several people who were
experiencing homelessness for the first time, had no previous experience with using
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 24 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
social services and assumed they must rely on their own resources to regain housing.
People who go into an overnight shelter were unhoused during the day. When facing
life in a shelter or in an unsuitable vehicle, many people viewed an RV as a viable option
for their continued health and safety. The phased approach proposed by staff offered
services and education to connect people with needed services. Mary W. expressed
concern about immediately turning to new ordinances before undertaking outreach and
investigation, especially given the huge impact of the lost parking areas on El Camino,
because if bans were enforced it would result in negative health impacts.
17. Nancy N. had been a longtime volunteer working with homeless individuals at Heart and
Home and was a board member. Living in an RV was not ideal. Nancy N. acknowledged
the serious challenges of dealing with sanitation and making areas safe for residents
who were dwelling in homes as well as residents in RVs. It was critical for people to have
the ability to seek work and hold a job, which was very difficult when living on the
streets or in a shelter where a bathroom was shared with 10 other people trying to get
out the door at the same time. Those folks needed a place where they had some
stability, where they could get ready for work in the morning, and that had good transit
so they could get to a job. Nancy N. encouraged consideration of the proximity to transit
and services when looking at where oversized vehicles could park. People needed
support to get to work and out of homelessness.
18. Brad A. read the staff’s 25-page report and articles outlining the proposed phased policy
to address oversized vehicle parking. After years of inaction, Brad A. felt that this plan
was causing more delay. Over the next 2 years, $6.5 million would be spent mostly on
signage, studies, and phasing. RVs, campers, and trailers had taken over the streets on
Cooperation Way and other commercial corridors, and many had not moved in months.
It impeded passage when bump-outs were over the street and sidewalk. Notices were
posted and citations were ignored while the vehicles sat there. Trash and waste
accumulated. It was a blatant public safety hazard when vehicles parked directly in front
of fire hydrants for days. If a fire engine could not connect to a hydrant because the City
did not enforce its own laws, it was negligence, not compassion. Banning the vanlording
that was taking place on Corporation Way and addressing inoperable trailers was
proposed to happen sometime next January but the broader RV restrictions that might
make a difference today would not be addressed until a later phase, which Brad A.
found unacceptable. Mountain View, Menlo Park, and Redwood City enacted RV
restrictions that balanced compassion and public safety, whereas Palo Alto continued to
study, discuss, and postpone. Brad A. reiterated it was not compassionate to allow this;
it was neglect. To keep deferring responsibility to the next phase, the next study, the
next budget cycle was an abdication of responsibility.
19. Bob M. was an avid cyclist who lived in the Adobe Meadow area near Mitchell Park.
About 2 months ago, Bob M. took about 40 photos of the 8 worst streets in Palo Alto
and sent them to the City. Bob M. passed by those streets every couple weeks and had
not seen any movement. Bob M. took photos of the 72-hour notices that had been on
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 25 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
windshields for 1½ months and nothing ever happened. Bob M. wanted a total ban on
RVs. As a consequence of the stricter restrictions in adjacent towns, Bob M. thought
everybody was going to move to Palo Alto. The mentally ill, homeless, employees and
families in Palo Alto each needed separate levels of care and compassion; however, Bob
M. cautioned about leaning over too far but instead emphasized the need for more
enforcement. Bob M. accessed Embarcadero Way and Embarcadero Road often and
agreed with the previous public comments about the conditions on those streets. Bob
M. recently went to a business on Embarcadero Way and could not get into the parking
lot, so he had to park 2 blocks away.
20. Maia H. worked for Jay Paul Company. Maia H. felt compassion around this issue.
Oversized vehicles parked along Sheridan Avenue and Park Boulevard adjacent to their
fully leased office buildings at 2747 Park, 3045 Park, and 395 Page Mill. Together, those
buildings employed more than 1900 workers in the corridor. Ongoing safety, sanitation,
and access issues had been documented. One of Jay Paul Company’s tenants had shared
growing concerns about the site conditions and was reconsidering whether to renew
their lease if this situation continued. Losing a major tenant such as Tencent would be a
setback not only for their building but for Palo Alto’s broader business community. Maia
H. expressed support for the approach presented in tonight’s staff report including
localized parking management, clear signage and time-limited enforcement tools.
Implementing 2-hour parking on Sheridan Avenue would restore turnover, create an
enforcement mechanism for the police department, and align with the City’s goals for
accessibility and neighborhood balance. Maia H. observed activity that fit the pattern of
vanlording on Sheridan, which reinforced why swift implementation of that ordinance
was essential. Maia H. asked for clear, enforceable standards that protected public
health, pedestrian access, and the integrity of the neighborhood.
21. Jeanette B. was here on behalf of Anderson Honda where she had worked for 26 years.
Faber Place was the side street. Jeanette B. sent pictures to the Special Problems detail.
Jeanette B. offered to provide the Council with copies of the email response that stated
the person had been criminally cited several times and LifeMoves was asked to prioritize
outreach to that person. That person was still there along with the blight, filth, and
crime. This had to be addressed. Anderson Honda cannot get deliveries or pull out of
their driveway. The City coned off about a third of the street for trucks to safely come in
and out of the City’s parking lot but businesses were not afforded the same privilege.
The problem with other municipalities getting tough was that now everyone was coming
to Palo Alto. What had happened in the last year was astronomical.
22. Noah F. called for immediate and decisive action by the Council, staff, and PAPD. A
couple years ago, Noah F. was here to speak in support of the Wilton Court housing
project. Creating a livable city meant protecting public space for all, which the City had
not been doing. Key corridors such as Park Boulevard were unsafe for walking and
biking. Approving OSV on a dedicated bike boulevard directly undermined all the work
done to put them together. A new proposal would spend millions to add bike
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 26 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
boulevards while the City was literally throwing one down the garbage. It was
unacceptable to see sewage, polluting gas generators, and waste on streets and in
Matadero Creek. The City did not need to spend millions of dollars and deploy new
signage every year to address this. Park Boulevard had dozens of “no OSV overnight
parking” signs, as could be seen on Google Maps. Noah F. wondered why it took 6
months to tow an RV parked in front of a sign, as shown in an earlier picture. Noah F.
urged daily enforcement of the statewide 72-hour parking limit, which would end the
reputation and incentive of Palo Alto being a free campground for all. It made no sense
to Noah F. to propose $6 million (200 times more expensive than the towing budget) for
slow programs and signage that would not work because the existing signage did
nothing.
Instead of waiting for a citizen to report a vehicle that had been there for 3 days, then
someone came out a day later to mark it and, at best, in 6 or 7 days it was ticketed or
towed; Noah F. suggested that PAPD spend an hour to conduct daily monitoring of a few
streets and mark any vehicle that had been there overnight. Then, start the clock to
ticket and tow 3 days later. Noah F. urged the City to allocate funds to increase the tow
budget to $100,000, and direct the PAPD to enforce the law.
23. Tamsin H. was a sophomore at Stanford, Board Member of the Heart and Home
Cooperative and co-student team leader for their student group at Stanford. Tamsin H.
had worked on unhoused issues since she was 13. Tamsin H. acknowledged the health
and safety problems she saw in the photos. Words like trash, blight, and nuisance had
been mentioned but Tamsin H. wanted to reenter the word “person” into the
conversation. When discussing enforcement and clearing encampments, Tamsin H.
believed it was important to remember these were human beings who were trying to
have a home. An RV was more livable than being underneath a bridge. Tamsin H.
thought the City could turn to other creative solutions. Tamsin H. came from Tempe,
Arizona, where a lot of her work in high school was around thinking how to create
compassionate solutions to unhoused problems. Tamsin H. encouraged everyone to
think about the person.
24. Mark Shull did not support this plan. The report stated the number of people living in
vehicles in Palo Alto was double the County average but did not say why. Mark Shull
opined that enhanced services such as curbside pump-outs, custom street cleaning, and
free garbage services would invite more RV dwellers. The report stated the campers
were largely in commercial areas today but talked about distributing them equitably
across the city. The section on Safe Parking locations seemed unrealistic to Mark Shull,
and he questioned how the City would find open spaces for campers if land could not be
found for high-density affordable housing. If a camper moved to Safe Parking, Mark
Shull thought another was certain to take the vacated street location. Mark Shull
believed the executive summary greatly underestimated the scale of enhanced services
described in the report and obfuscated the long-term cost, saying it would be brought
forward in the annual budget process. The detailed cost overview did not include the
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 27 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
cost of the many new employees the report said were needed for enhanced services.
There were no citations to support the assertions of a huge lawsuit risk if the City
enforced standard parking codes. San Francisco, Portland, and Berkeley were cited as
prominent examples of cities effectively addressing homelessness. Mark Shull saw an
important political context and a huge red flag for this report to draw heavily from those
cities for its ideas. Mark Shull thought this plan was expensive, not rigorous, and would
make an already serious problem worse.
25. Winter thought Palo Alto was trying to do the best it could. Palo Alto was not like Menlo
Park and other places that turned their back and said it was okay to send folks away and
let someplace else take the responsibility. Winter thanked staff for their work and
analysis on this item. Winter could not say all of it was workable or quick enough but
she supported the intention and direction the City was going in. Winter thanked Justin
H. for speaking out on behalf of the RV community, Reece H., Oscar J., Lucy J., Miguel J.,
and Shane R. Winter knew it was very difficult to sit among a much larger group of
people when you had been labeled as the problem. Winter opined the RV dwellers were
not the problem. The problem was huge and systemic, and in every part of this country.
Economic injustice was heartbreaking and depressing, and it caused people to be
outraged. Winter felt a great deal of anger that we had come to this. It was very difficult
for a little town like Palo Alto to take this on but we were trying to do so. Winter was
happy that so many people were concerned about this one way or another because it
meant this was a priority, so it was right to focus on it in a rational and sane manner.
26. Aram James pointed out that Palo Alto was a public city, not a gated community. As
Justice Stanley Mosk who spent 37 years on the California Supreme Court said, the City
could not solve its homeless problem simply by exiling a large number of its homeless
citizens to neighboring locales. San Jose had a major homeless issue and was trying to
deal with it in a systematic way, not demonizing their RV dwellers. Gilroy was
extraordinarily under-resourced compared to Palo Alto and had 900 unhoused people
compared to our 200. Dave Price with the Daily Post referred to people living in their
RVs as car campers. They were not campers. They were not on vacation. They were
struggling to survive daily. Aram James had empathy and supported local businesses.
Nobody wanted garbage in front of their homes and businesses. Aram James
encouraged showing a sense of reason. Aram James believed we could not enforce our
way out of this problem. Aram James thought we had to push for more housing and
share the burden of this problem with everybody else in this county, state and country
and solve the problem together.
27. Evelyne K. thanked the City staff, Council, and police department for working on this
with community service providers to propose a dignified solution rather than punitive.
Evelyne K. suggested beginning with a relocation approach rather than an ordinance to
remove. Evelyne K. did not view the situation as them against us, businesses and
residents against RV dwellers. This was an opportunity for all Palo Altans to come up
with innovative and people-centered solutions and be a model for good that other Cities
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 28 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
could emulate. RV dwellers were trying to create a solution for themselves, which was
something the community should be caring for. Children and teenagers lived in RVs.
28. Danny S., a member of Stanford Students for Workers’ Rights and the Stanford Coalition
for Planning an Equitable 2035, urged the City to not ban overnight RV parking. Instead
of banning them, we needed to recognize their humanity. Until better options were
easily accessible, a ban would make unhoused people less safe. Unhoused people
deserved safe places to sleep. Due to the massive housing and affordability crisis,
vehicles were the only choice for many people. Some of the RVs that people were upset
about were inhabited by the service workers and janitors we rely on every day, and we
should not be mad at them for not wanting to or being able to drive hours every day to
serve us. Danny S. urged the Council to consider the phased recommendation offered by
the Policy and Services Committee that dedicated energy toward finding safer options
for unhoused people.
Vice Mayor Veenker noted some of the City’s policies and practices did not have the expressed
understanding or direction of Council. Vice Mayor Veenker hoped to have a better
understanding around that after tonight’s meeting. Vice Mayor Veenker acknowledged the
comments made by the public. In the public sector, things did not move as fast and it was
frustrating but partly it was because the City tried to listen and do things in public, which took
time. Vice Mayor Veenker wondered if there was any exception to the 72-hour parking rule for
towing to quickly improve the situations on Embarcadero Way and other places that needed
safe ingress and egress and the ability to use driveways for deliveries. Vice Mayor Veenker
thought there could be towing options when a fire hydrant or other things were blocked. Vice
Mayor Veenker believed the most current point-in-time (PIT) count for 2025 was 120 RVs but a
public commenter said it was over 200. When talking about solutions at scale, the City needed
to know what that scale was. It would be great if we could find a spot to park 120 RVs but Vice
Mayor Veenker believed that was unrealistic. Vice Mayor Veenker asked how many Homekey
units there would be once it came online.
City Manager Shikada replied that a blocked driveway provided a cause to take immediate
enforcement action. City Manager Shikada said the situations described by the public were
often not a blocked driveway but access may be more difficult than desired when a vehicle
parked close to a driveway while not encroaching. In those situations, Transportation staff
would respond on a case-by-case basis but that could be a significant workload to address
those individually. City Manager Shikada mentioned that staff had some discussions about
categorical approaches, red curbs adjacent to driveways was an example but there had not
been a clear path forward for that.
Assistant to the City Manager McDonough said the PIT count on a single day in January was 168
vehicles, 120 of which were RVs. Homekey will have 88 units.
Vice Mayor Veenker recommended getting reengaged with faith communities. If the City could
get leases on reasonable terms for a couple of large, unused commercial parking lots, it seemed
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 29 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
to Vice Mayor Veenker that the City could move quickly at a large scale. Increased towing was
not a permanent solution because those vehicles could come back. Vice Mayor Veenker was
looking for longer-term solutions. Ultimately, Vice Mayor Veenker would love to lift people out
of homelessness but she was trying to move more quickly than that. Vice Mayor Veenker
wanted to underscore the public speaker who mentioned that RV dwellers included people who
had become homeless because of affordability, mental or behavioral health reasons. Outreach
was key to solving this. Vice Mayor Veenker was interested in accelerating the Phase 1
recommendations, which included street cleanups, working with LifeMoves and Project
Homekey, and prohibiting vanlording. Vice Mayor Veenker encouraged enhanced enforcement,
making a special effort at enforcing the “No OSV” signs. Vice Mayor Veenker wanted to explore
these solutions at scale and suggested creating an ad hoc that could move quickly. The ad hoc
that worked on the El Camino bike lanes moved quickly. Vice Mayor Veenker wanted to discuss
what could get the most impact the most quickly and was a sustainable solution, which to her
was moving people out of RVs or the RVs off the streets in a bigger scale.
Councilmember Stone noted broad agreement tonight and at the Policy and Services (P&S)
meeting in August that people needed to follow the rules, and rules needed to be clear and
enforced fairly. Whether talking about the city’s wealthiest residents or RV dwellers, the law
had to apply equally to everyone. Councilmember Stone opined that a citywide prohibition on
occupied vehicle dwelling was not the prudent path forward. Councilmember Stone deeply
believed it was wrong to push people onto the streets when they had a form of shelter and the
government had not provided a viable alternative; however, it was not only a question of
morality but also a question of sound governance. A total ban would almost certainly invite a
costly and protracted legal fight, which the City would likely lose in whole or in part and would
drain resources that would be better spent on solutions that help people and protect
neighborhoods. People lived in vehicles because they had nowhere else to go. Councilmember
Stone felt this was a problem of our own making because the city, region, state, and country
had failed to build enough affordable housing to meet the need and failed to invest adequately
in services and enforcement systems. Councilmember Stone believed the P&S recommendation
represented a fair and thoughtful balance, recognized the dignity and humanity of those who
called their vehicles home while also responding to legitimate neighborhood concerns about
safety, sanitation, and access.
Phase 2 of the recommendation begins exploring the limitation of OSV parking to certain
streets, establishing clear rules and predictable locations, and spread the impact equitably to
ensure parity across the city while ensuring that business areas remained functional.
Councilmember Stone felt it was important to not have one street or neighborhood take the
brunt of this collective burden. Councilmember Stone thought the most critical component of
the recommendation was the OSV permit requirement. The nonresidential and nonresidential
adjacent streets would be identified through a collaborative process with full community
engagement including business owners, City staff, residents and OSV dwellers. Councilmember
Stone asked if staff had an estimate of how many streets might qualify as nonresidential or
nonresidential adjacent, and if the permit program would specify the street each permit holder
was authorized to park on. A key concern raised by many speakers was that offering additional
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 30 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
services might make Palo Alto a magnet for more OSVs. Councilmember Stone suggested
limiting the total number of OSV permits to the PIT vehicle count plus a reasonable buffer,
maybe 10 percent, to ensure that the City could support current OSV residents compassionately
without incentivizing an influx beyond local capacity. This was compassionate, practical, and
legally defensible, did not ignore the City’s responsibility to enforce the law and did not
abandon the moral obligation to our neighbors who were struggling to survive one of the most
expensive housing markets in the nation.
City Manager Shikada said 18 streets were identified as experiencing oversized vehicle parking.
As in other ordinances, establishing a specific distance might be necessary to clarify what was
nonresidential adjacent. Exploring the idea of specifying locations on permits would be a next
step; however, City Manager Shikada was concerned about staff’s ability to administer the
program and the additional complexity of assigning specific permits to specific streets would
add to that challenge. City Manager Shikada clarified that a ceiling on the number of overall
permits would not be an issue of complexity.
Councilmember Burt said the LifeMoves transitional housing project was scheduled for spring
of next year. The Geng Road RV lot was expanded from 12 spaces to an additional 10
concurrent with the El Camino Real Bikeways. Approximately 30 RVs had been on El Camino
previously. Not being provided with contemporary data was part of the problem.
Councilmember Burt’s most recent count was at least 230. Councilmember Burt thought the
City should expand the Safe Parking Program because it had been a success. The business tax
was initiated, of which $2.5 million a year went toward affordable housing programs.
Councilmember Burt felt that the City allowed this problem to reach a crisis point before
beginning any significant actions to address it. Mountain View Moves did not allow
unregistered vehicles at the Geng Road lot; however, the City allowed unregistered vehicles on
public streets. The staff report mentioned outreach to stakeholders but the business
community was not included. When approaching these problems, Councilmember Burt
emphasized the need to involve all stakeholders including Stanford. The City was desperate for
land for RV storage. To Councilmember Burt’s knowledge, there were no RVs on Stanford-
owned properties in the city, which was over 1000 acres of land. The Stanford Research Park
had no on-street parking except on Deer Creek and Coyote. Councilmember Burt heard that
many nurses who work at Stanford Hospital were residing in RVs. Councilmember Burt
suggested bringing in Palo Alto Transportation Management Association (PATMA) to provide
transit passes, bikes and e-bikes to RV dwellers.
Councilmember Burt noted the need for greater enforcement but did not want to immediately
tow everybody in the community. The Council had been seeking information for a year and had
asked multiple times, so Councilmember Burt felt that the Council should have received this
information long before tonight and advised staff that must not be the case going forward. The
Council needed data and updates on the implementation of the plans on a regular basis.
Councilmember Burt asked if an urgency ordinance to prohibit vanlording could be done.
Councilmember Burt did not believe that hiring additional police officers and spending millions
of dollars were the only ways to achieve broader enforcement. Councilmember Burt thought
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 31 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
that by enacting a law, making it clear that the City intended to enforce it and have significant
consequences would encourage compliance, for example, imposing significant penalties to
vanlords for violations and increasing it if we do not get compliance.
City Attorney Stump replied it was possible to have an ordinance to prohibit vanlording on a
single reading on an urgency basis but thought it required a supermajority.
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims noted it was unfortunate that this regional problem was being
handled city by city. When a City took a hardcore approach of enforcement and swept people
out, it impacted the cities around them, it was not good public policy and it was not humane.
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims felt that Cities and Counties collectively had an obligation to
provide shelter and transitional housing, and none of us had done enough. Councilmember
Lythcott-Haims respected the valid concerns of business owners and residents who were
significantly impacted although she was troubled by some comments that had an undertone of
poverty making them feel uncomfortable and unsafe, and speaking of the problem as if they
were not talking about human beings. It was increasingly possible for many people in the
middle class and below to be a paycheck, divorce, or serious health issue away from losing their
home and having to consider living in their vehicle. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims knew some
RV dwellers who worked locally, some were seniors, and some sent their children to Palo Alto
schools but could not afford rent, which was a macroeconomic failure, not an individual failure
or fault. This was the manifestation of a housing crisis, wage crisis, and a mental health crisis.
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims was determined to find a way forward for the many people she
knew in this circumstance, a solution that acknowledged their humanity while solving the larger
problems as well.
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims posed a question to those who wanted an overnight ban,
where did they think the people would go if the City did a massive sweep-out. Councilmember
Lythcott-Haims believed we would discover that businesses in the Peninsula would not have the
workers necessary to provide the goods or services we depended on. Councilmember Lythcott-
Haims opined that the job of City government entailed creating a climate where residents and
businesses could thrive and support the most vulnerable. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims said
that people who live in RVs were each other’s support system and did not want their
community torn apart. Packet Page 521 said the City could expand Safe Parking options through
partnerships with privately owned commercial properties. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims
invited property owners to come forward with their terms to partner with the City for a parking
lot, 1 or 2 lots were needed, the nearer to transit and services the better. Councilmember
Lythcott-Haims urged staff to work with faith-based communities to accept RVs and if it was
possible to provide 24-hour parking instead of only overnight parking.
Councilmember Reckdahl thought the permit recommendation had a lot of potential but was
not being done tonight, so he wanted to concentrate on what could be done tonight and as fast
as possible. Councilmember Reckdahl inquired if warnings could be put on trailers and towed
on the second warning as opposed to having signage. Councilmember Reckdahl wondered if
1.51 Implement and Enforce Detached Inoperable Vehicles and 1.52 Prohibit Vanlords could be
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 32 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
accelerated instead of waiting until April and May. Councilmember Reckdahl’s preferred doing
1.1 through 1.52 (6 items). Councilmember Reckdahl did not understand why unregistered
vehicles were not being towed, so he suggested having a policy to tow as many as possible.
Councilmember Reckdahl was at Commercial this morning and saw a van with a 1996 tag, and
other tags from 2011 and 2013. Councilmember Reckdahl thought the police should address
vehicles that had been unregistered for years and make them follow the law. Councilmember
Reckdahl was uncomfortable with RVs parking where there were bike lanes because it was a
safety issue; particularly, RV parking should not be allowed on Safe Routes to School. With the
daylighting law, Councilmember Reckdahl said that painting red curbs should be prioritized
where RVs were impeding vision at intersections. Councilmember Reckdahl felt it should be a
high priority to address RVs blocking businesses. Councilmember Reckdahl recommended
having the Transportation Department work with those businesses to change to 1-hour parking
or come to another conclusion that the business and Transportation were happy with.
City Attorney Stump did not think that warnings could be put on trailers instead of signage.
There could be temporary signage, which was not straightforward or easy but the team had
sketched out what it would entail and the cost.
Assistant to the City Manager McDonough explained the rationale for the implementation
schedule. There were holidays in November and December, and considering how long it would
take for the ordinances to be written and go to Council, staff wanted to set reasonable
expectations. There were not many Council meetings in January, so it may get pushed to
February. Staff assumed there would be a second reading and then there was a waiting period.
City Manager Shikada added that there was a customary ordinance waiting period from second
reading to effective date. City Manager Shikada understood that the Council wanted to move as
quickly as possible.
Councilmember Lu was on the P&S Committee. Councilmember Lu agreed with Councilmember
Stone’s comments. Councilmember Lu wanted to focus on implementing faster ordinances and
enforcement on the worst cases but did not favor blanket enforcement. A total ban had legal
risks and impacted people who lived in our community who had an opportunity to be housed in
the foreseeable future. Councilmember Lu said if we had the resources and political will to
solve problems, we should. Councilmember Lu suggested looking at RVs that had extendible
sections that blocked sidewalks or bike lanes, working on daylighting for intersections where
there were visibility issues, and tow the most severe public health and safety risks or cases
where there was known sewage or fire risks. Councilmember Lu expected the significant
majority of vanlord-operated RVs were not moving, so some vanlording could be addressed
within the existing 72-hour enforcement without having to wait on an ordinance. Several weeks
prior, Councilmember Lu found multiple listings on Craigslist for unoccupied RVs parked in a
specific location. Vanlords could be texted and asked for the location to see the RV. This
required police resources but the public could then see we were making progress.
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 33 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
In a year, Councilmember Lu hoped to see a pipeline of RVs that had been reached out to and
went to Safe Parking sites, interim housing or placed into permanent housing. Having that
pipeline and tracking clear data at every step from now was a critical part of Councilmember
Lu’s support for undergoing this set of phases and programs. Councilmember Lu opined the
residential neighborhoods of East Meadow and Ventura were higher priorities than the
exclusively business-focused areas. Councilmember Lu noted the City had an ordinance that
RVs could not stay more than 30 days without a permit at single-family homes. Councilmember
Lu thought that aggressively pursuing Safe Parking spaces at congregations and business lots
was potentially an ordinance that could be advanced and implemented quickly.
Mayor Lauing emphasized that enforcement of the law was a short-term way to quickly reduce
some of the problems. Mayor Lauing referred to Page 361 and thought that outreach to expand
Safe Parking on private-owned and congregational-based parking lots in combination with more
enforcement could be the biggest tools for achieving some scale. Mayor Lauing moved the
motion from P&S on Page 517 with the exception of 3, 4, and 5 for street sweeping and
budgets. Mayor Lauing wanted specificity of what increased enforcement entailed.
Vice Mayor Veenker seconded the motion. Vice Mayor Veenker echoed the importance of staff
reaching out to businesses. Vice Mayor Veenker noted many empty parking lots around town
and she made a plea to businesses to partner with the City on Safe Parking. Vice Mayor Veenker
believed the business community would prefer to have RVs off the streets and in an empty
parking lot, and she wanted this effort accelerated because a parking lot was a place where RVs
could continue to be as opposed to towing being more cyclical. The congregational-based
parking lots only had night parking and did not allow RVs. Vice Mayor Veenker asked the City
Attorney if the City needed an ordinance on an urgency basis to allow the faith-based
community to allow RVs and 24-hour parking. Vice Mayor Veenker agreed with Mayor Lauing
that we could get more impact more quickly if enforcement and expanded Safe parking were
accelerated alongside the other immediate cleanup efforts. Vice Mayor Veenker wanted to
know if there would be outreach to notify people living in detached, inoperable trailers about
the upcoming prohibition and offered services to help them become housed.
City Manager Shikada answered that the enabling ordinance limited the ability to park for 24
hours, so it would require an amendment.
Councilmember Reckdahl considered street sweeping important because many areas had built-
up dirt, sewage and other things. Councilmember Reckdahl thought regular street sweeping
was effective at making inoperable vehicles obvious. Mayor Lauing and Vice Mayor Veenker
agreed to include street sweeping (3, 4, and 5) in the motion, as originally proposed by P&S.
Councilmember Reckdahl did not like the signage cost for street sweeping but believed it was
worth it to eliminate inoperable vehicles.
Deputy City Manager Gaines offered to share some of the costs for enforcement versus services
in response to Councilmember Lythcott-Haims’s previous question.
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 34 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
Councilmember Lu wanted to clarify that the ad hoc would come back to full Council with a
recommendation before there was any change in enforcement.
Assistant to the City Manager McDonough stated that the current practice of the Police
Department working closely with the Outreach Team to ensure services were offered would
continue with any of the proposed approaches.
Mayor Lauing explained that Number 7 was very good because it meant not putting cars on
parkland unless voters approved to un-dedicate parkland.
Councilmember Stone supported everything in Phase 1 but was concerned it did not go far
enough. Councilmember Stone thought Safe Parking had not been successful at solving this
issue and was inadequate to meet demand. Phase 2 would provide relief to impacted
neighborhoods, which Councilmember Stone opined the current motion did not achieve.
Councilmember Burt concurred with Councilmember Stone about hoping to see some
improvement in availability of privately owned and congregation-based Safe Parking but
thought the expectation of Safe Parking being a primary solution to this problem was
overoptimistic. Councilmember Burt wanted to make sure Stanford was included in the
category of privately owned parking because Stanford was the biggest property owner in the
city and had not been a participant. Councilmember Burt was interested in the prompt
establishment of a stakeholder group that included businesses, property owners and nearby
residents, or at least to elicit stakeholder input. Possibly the ad hoc would interface with the
stakeholder group or it could be through staff. Councilmember Burt wanted the motion for
increased enforcement to make reference to prioritizing health, safety and access issues.
Councilmember Burt and Vice Mayor Veenker agreed to amend the motion.
Deputy City Manager Gaines explained that staff had asked the Council in February if outreach
should be included as a next step and the Council made it clear that staff should come back
with this discussion; therefore, intensive outreach had not been done. The stakeholder
information mentioned in the staff report reflected the ongoing conversations that staff had
with established groups focused on service provision.
City Attorney Stump pointed out that if the Council directed or recommended staff to create a
stakeholder group it would be a Brown Act group. City Attorney Stump recommended letting
staff proceed based on hearing what Council had expressed tonight instead of including the
creation of a stakeholder group in the motion.
Deputy City Manager Gaines acknowledged hearing Council’s desires.
Councilmember Lythcott-Haims wanted to clarify for the record that Megan Swezey Fogarty
created the stakeholder group referred to in the staff report. Megan Swezey Fogarty was the
Senior Associate Vice President for Community Engagement at Stanford and she held monthly
gatherings of folks from nonprofits, the City, County, and Stanford who did similar work to
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 35 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
support unhoused people to share what was going on and learn from each other but it was not
meant to be a stakeholder group.
Councilmember Reckdahl wanted to confirm that staff would start working on Items 1-7
immediately because he was nervous that staff would wait for the ad hoc before moving
forward. Mayor Lauing agreed.
MOTION: Mayor Lauing moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Veenker, to approve the Policy and
Services Committee recommendation to direct staff to:
Phase 1:
1. Develop an urgency ordinance to prohibit parking of detached/inoperable vehicles on
public streets,
2. Develop an urgency ordinance to prohibit the renting of public parking spaces
(“vanlording”),
3. Refine the scope and begin implementation of additional street cleanups and sweeping,
4. Return to Council for approvals of ordinances and contract amendments (e.g., street
sweeping) as soon as possible, estimated to require up to four (4) months,
5. Implementation and enforcement of these actions would follow,
6. Work with LifeMoves to consider options, such as a buyback or parking program, to
accept RV residents quickly at the Homekey site or other housing options,
7. Recruit new Safe Parking on privately-owned and congregation-based parking lots,
excepting any Safe Parking site that requires undedicating parkland,
8. Create an Ad Hoc Committee to recommend details on the increased enforcement and
other issues on implementation on Items 1-7 above; evaluation of activities in Phase 2
and report back to Council in 4 months, in furtherance of Council goals including public
health and public safety,
9. Approve amendments to the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Appropriation (requires a 2/3
vote) to resource aspects of the phased approach in the General Fund by:
a. Increasing the contractual services appropriation for the City Manager’s Office
by $157,000 for resources to support program implementation;
b. Decreasing the Reserve: Business Tax Revenue for Housing Affordability by
$157,000;
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 36 of 36
City Council Meeting
Summary Minutes: 10/20/2025
c. Increasing the contractual services appropriation for the Office of Transportation
by $150,000 for engineering services;
d. Increasing the contractual services appropriation in the Public Works
Department by $60,000 for street clean-up services;
e. Increasing the contractual services appropriation in the Police Department by
$95,000 for marking and enforcement of vehicles; Decreasing the Budget
Stabilization Reserve by $305,000;
f. Refuse Fund by:
i. Increasing the contractual services appropriation by $245,000 for new
permanent and temporary street cleaning signage; and
ii. Decreasing the Ending Fund Balance by $245,000.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 11:49 P.M.