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Home My WebLink About2026-01-12 City Council Action MinutesCITY COUNCIL/PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT CORPORATION ACTION MINUTES Page 1 of 5 Special Meeting January 12, 2026 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 Present Remotely: Absent: Closed Session 1.Subject: Initiation of litigation in one case Authority: Potential Exposure to Litigation Under Government Code Section 54956.9(d) (4) Number of potential cases: 1, as Plaintiff MOTION: Councilmember Lauing moved, seconded by Councilmember Lu to go into Closed Session. MOTION PASSED: 7-0 Council went into Closed Session at 5:32 P.M. Council returned from Closed Session at 6:20 P.M. Mayor Veenker announced that the City Council authorized the City Attorney to initiate litigation in one case. Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions Public Comment Docusign Envelope ID: 7755725A-6D69-4F64-A41A-E7D446F67B9C ACTION MINUTES Page 2 of 5 Sp. City Council Meeting Action Minutes: 01/12/2026 Council Member Questions, Comments and Announcements Study Session 2.Review and Discuss 2025 Q4 Council Priorities & Objectives and format of the 2026 City Council Annual Retreat. CEQA Status – Not a project. NO ACTION Consent Calendar Councilmember Lythcott-Haims registered a no vote on Agenda Item Number 10 and 11. MOTION: Councilmember Reckdahl moved, seconded by Councilmember Lauing to approve Agenda Item Numbers 3-12. MOTION PASSED ITEMS 3-9, 12: 7-0 MOTION PASSED ITEMS 10, 11: 6-1, Lythcott-Haims no 3.Approval of Minutes from December 8, December 10, and December 15, 2025 Meetings 4.Adoption of Memorandum of Agreement with Service Employees International Union Hourly Unit effective upon adoption through December 31, 2027; and Adoption of Compensation Plan for Unrepresented Limited Hourly Employee effective upon adoption through June 30, 2028; CEQA Status - Not a project 5.Approval of Professional Services Contract Number C26195486 with Baron Contracting in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $514,528 for Gas Leak Survey Services for a Period of Three Years. CEQA Status – Exempt Under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301(c) and 15308 (Existing Facilities). 6.Approval of a Contract with the Media Center for Cable Casting Services of Public Meetings for a Term of Three Years and a Not to Exceed Amount of $540,000 with Two One-Year Options to Extend for a Potential Not to Exceed amount of $900,000 over a five-year term, for cablecasting, production, and streaming services; CEQA Status – Not a Project. 7.Approve the City Manager or Designee to Execute Purchase Order C26196045 with Insight Public Sector, Utilizing a County of Riverside Cooperative Contract ITARC-00930, to Procure Microsoft Enterprise Software Licensing, Cloud Services, and Server/Data Docusign Envelope ID: 7755725A-6D69-4F64-A41A-E7D446F67B9C ACTION MINUTES Page 3 of 5 Sp. City Council Meeting Action Minutes: 01/12/2026 Center Licensing for a 3-Year Term with a maximum Total Not-To-Exceed Amount of $2,506,936, inclusive of a Contingency in the Amount of $50,000 Annually. 8.FIRST READING: Adoption of an ordinance to Amend Chapters 4.54 and 4.56 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Amend the Regulation of Massage Establishments and Hot Tub/Sauna Establishments as Recommended by the Policy & Services Committee; and Adoption of a Resolution to Amend the Administrative Penalty Schedule to Amend Related Penalties; CEQA status - not a project. 9.SECOND READING: Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Renewing the Military Equipment Use Policy in Compliance with Govt. Code Section 7070 et seq. (2025-2026) (FIRST READING: December 8, 2025; PASSED 7-0) 10.SECOND READING: Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Prohibiting Parking of Detached Trailers and Other Non-Motorized Vehicles on Public Streets (FIRST READING: December 8, 2025; PASSED 6-1, Lythcott-Haims no) 11.SECOND READING: Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Prohibiting Rental of Vehicles for Human Habitation (FIRST READING: December 8, 2025; PASSED 6-1, Lythcott-Haims no) 12.SECOND READING: Interim Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Temporarily Extending Interim Ordinance 5645, Amending Various Chapters of Title 16 (Building Regulations) and Title 18 (Zoning) and Title 21 (Subdivisions and Other Divisions of Land) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Implement Recent State Housing Laws (FIRST READING: December 8, 2025, PASSED 7-0) City Manager Comments Ed Shikada, City Manager Action Items 13.Study and Assessment of Palo Alto Turf Systems and Direct Staff to Proceed with El Camino Park Synthetic Turf Replacement and Natural Grass Pilot; CEQA Status – Categorically and Statutorily Exempt MOTION: Councilmember Lu moved, seconded by Councilmember Lythcott-Haims to: 1.Proceed with replacing the existing synthetic turf at El Camino Park with improved synthetic turf using organic infill and to implement risk management measures, Docusign Envelope ID: 7755725A-6D69-4F64-A41A-E7D446F67B9C ACTION MINUTES Page 4 of 5 Sp. City Council Meeting Action Minutes: 01/12/2026 including stormwater filtration, enhanced maintenance practices, and related mitigation measures; and MOTION PASSED: 6-1, Stone no MOTION SPLIT FOR THE PURPOSE OF VOTING MOTION: Councilmember Lu moved, seconded by Councilmember Lythcott-Haims to: 3.Pursue a natural grass pilot project to enhance playability and durability; and 4.Continue to explore opportunities to transition from synthetic turf at Cubberley. MOTION PASSED: 7-0 Recess City Council Meeting and Convene Public Improvement Corporation Meeting All Board Members of the Public Improvement Corporation are present in-person. 14.Approval of Fiscal Year 2025 Palo Alto Public Improvement Corporation's Annual Financial Report. CEQA Status - Not a Project MOTION: Board Member Lauing moved, seconded by Board Member Reckdahl to approve the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Annual Financial Report for the Palo Alto Public Improvement Corporation. MOTION PASSED: 7-0 Reconvene City Council Meeting 15.Review and Approval of Suggested Changes to the City Council Procedures and Protocols Handbook as Recommended by the Policy and Services Committee. CEQA Status – Not a project. Agenda Item Number 15 not heard and deferred to a date uncertain. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 10:08 P.M. Docusign Envelope ID: 7755725A-6D69-4F64-A41A-E7D446F67B9C ACTION MINUTES Page 5 of 5 Sp. City Council Meeting Action Minutes: 01/12/2026 ATTEST: APPROVED: ____________________ ____________________ City Clerk Mayor NOTE: Action minutes are prepared in accordance with Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) 2.04.160(a) and (b). Summary minutes (sense) are prepared in accordance with PAMC Section 2.04.160(c). Beginning in January 2018, in accordance with Ordinance No. 5423, the City Council found action minutes and the video/audio recordings of Council proceedings to be the official records of both Council and committee proceedings. These recordings are available on the City’s website. Docusign Envelope ID: 7755725A-6D69-4F64-A41A-E7D446F67B9C Certificate Of Completion Envelope Id: 7755725A-6D69-4F64-A41A-E7D446F67B9C Status: Completed Subject: January 12, 2026 Action Minutes Source Envelope: Document Pages: 5 Signatures: 2 Envelope Originator: Certificate Pages: 2 Initials: 0 Christine Prior AutoNav: Enabled EnvelopeId Stamping: Enabled Time Zone: (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) 250 Hamilton Ave Palo Alto , CA 94301 Christine.Prior@PaloAlto.gov IP Address: 165.225.242.103 Record Tracking Status: Original 2/3/2026 6:45:52 PM Holder: Christine Prior Christine.Prior@PaloAlto.gov Location: DocuSign Security Appliance Status: Connected Pool: StateLocal Storage Appliance Status: Connected Pool: City of Palo Alto Location: Docusign Signer Events Signature Timestamp Vicki Veenker Vicki.Veenker@paloalto.gov Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 2601:647:4080:be0:6dd6:b70c:dab8:3b27 Sent: 2/3/2026 6:46:47 PM Viewed: 2/3/2026 9:45:47 PM Signed: 2/3/2026 9:46:18 PM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via Docusign Mahealani Ah Yun Mahealani.AhYun@paloalto.gov City Clerk Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None)Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 76.132.2.224 Sent: 2/3/2026 9:46:19 PM Viewed: 2/6/2026 11:02:14 AM Signed: 2/6/2026 11:02:45 AM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via Docusign In Person Signer Events Signature Timestamp Editor Delivery Events Status Timestamp Agent Delivery Events Status Timestamp Intermediary Delivery Events Status Timestamp Certified Delivery Events Status Timestamp Carbon Copy Events Status Timestamp Witness Events Signature Timestamp Notary Events Signature Timestamp Envelope Summary Events Status Timestamps Envelope Summary Events Status Timestamps Envelope Sent Hashed/Encrypted 2/3/2026 6:46:47 PM Certified Delivered Security Checked 2/6/2026 11:02:14 AM Signing Complete Security Checked 2/6/2026 11:02:45 AM Completed Security Checked 2/6/2026 11:02:45 AM Payment Events Status Timestamps