The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2025-06-04 Policy & Services Committee Agenda PacketPOLICY AND SERVICES COMMITTEE Special Meeting Wednesday, June 04, 2025 Community Meeting Room & Hybrid 7:30 PM 8:00 PM Amended Agenda Start Time Updated Policy and Services Committee meetings will be held as “hybrid” meetings with the option to attend by teleconference/video conference or in person. Information on how the public may observe and participate in the meeting is located at the end of the agenda. The meeting will be broadcast on Cable TV Channel 26, live on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/cityofpaloalto, and streamed to Midpen Media Center https://midpenmedia.org. VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION CLICK HERE TO JOIN (https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/94618744621) Meeting ID: 946 1874 4621 Phone: 1(669)900-6833 PUBLIC COMMENTS General Public Comment for items not on the agenda will be accepted in person for up to three minutes or an amount of time determined by the Chair. General public comment will be heard for 30 minutes. Additional public comments, if any, will be heard at the end of the agenda. Public comments for agendized items will be accepted both in person and via Zoom for up to three minutes or an amount of time determined by the Chair. Requests to speak will be taken until 5 minutes after the staff’s presentation or as determined by the Chair. Written public comments can be submitted in advance to city.council@PaloAlto.gov and will be provided to the Council and available for inspection on the City’s website. Please clearly indicate which agenda item you are referencing in your subject line. PowerPoints, videos, or other media to be presented during public comment are accepted only by email to city.clerk@PaloAlto.gov at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Once received, the Clerk will have them shared at public comment for the specified item. To uphold strong cybersecurity management practices, USB’s or other physical electronic storage devices are not accepted. Signs and symbolic materials less than 2 feet by 3 feet are permitted provided that: (1) sticks, posts, poles or similar/other types of handle objects are strictly prohibited; (2) the items do not create a facility, fire, or safety hazard; and (3) persons with such items remain seated when displaying them and must not raise the items above shoulder level, obstruct the view or passage of other attendees, or otherwise disturb the business of the meeting. 1 June 04, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.paloalto.gov/agendas. CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMENT Members of the public may speak in-person ONLY to any item NOT on the agenda. 1-3 minutes depending on number of speakers. Public Comment is limited to 30 minutes. Additional public comments, if any, will be heard at theend of the agenda. ACTION ITEMS 1.Recommend to the City Council Approval of the FY 2026 Nonprofit Partnership Workplan Phase I awards Late Packet Report FUTURE MEETINGS AND AGENDASMembers of the public may not speak to the item(s) ADJOURNMENT 2 June 04, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.paloalto.gov/agendas. PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS Members of the Public may provide public comments to teleconference meetings via email, teleconference, or by phone. 1.Written public comments may be submitted by email to city.council@PaloAlto.gov. 2.For in person public comments please complete a speaker request card located on the table at the entrance to the Council Chambers and deliver it to the Clerk prior to discussion of the item. 3.Spoken public comments for agendized items using a computer or smart phone will be accepted through the teleconference meeting. To address the Council, click on the link below to access a Zoom-based meeting. Please read the following instructions carefully. ◦You may download the Zoom client or connect to the meeting in- browser. If using your browser, make sure you are using a current, up-to-date browser: Chrome 30 , Firefox 27 , Microsoft Edge 12 , Safari 7 . Certain functionality may be disabled in older browsers including Internet Explorer. Or download the Zoom application onto your smart phone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enter in the Meeting ID below. ◦You may be asked to enter an email address and name. We request that you identify yourself by name as this will be visible online and will be used to notify you that it is your turn to speak. ◦When you wish to speak on an Agenda Item, click on “raise hand.” The Clerk will activate and unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified shortly before they are called to speak. ◦When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted. A timer will be shown on the computer to help keep track of your comments. 4.Spoken public comments for agendized items using a phone use the telephone number listed below. When you wish to speak on an agenda item hit *9 on your phone so we know that you wish to speak. You will be asked to provide your first and last name before addressing the Council. You will be advised how long you have to speak. When called please limit your remarks to the agenda item and time limit allotted. CLICK HERE TO JOIN Meeting ID: 946-1874-4621 Phone: 1-669-900-6833 Americans with Disability Act (ADA) It is the policy of the City of Palo Alto to offer its public programs, services and meetings in a manner that is readily accessible to all. Persons with disabilities who require materials in an appropriate alternative format or who require auxiliary aids to access City meetings, programs, or services may contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at (650) 329-2550 (voice) or by emailing ada@PaloAlto.gov. Requests for assistance or accommodations must be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, program, or service. 3 June 04, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.paloalto.gov/agendas. California Government Code §84308, commonly referred to as the "Levine Act," prohibits an elected official of a local government agency from participating in a proceeding involving a license, permit, or other entitlement for use if the official received a campaign contribution exceeding $500 from a party or participant, including their agents, to the proceeding within the last 12 months. A “license, permit, or other entitlement for use” includes most land use and planning approvals and the approval of contracts that are not subject to lowest responsible bid procedures and have a value over $50,000. A “party” is a person who files an application for, or is the subject of, a proceeding involving a license, permit, or other entitlement for use. A “participant” is a person who actively supports or opposes a particular decision in a proceeding involving a license, permit, or other entitlement for use, and has a financial interest in the decision. The Levine Act incorporates the definition of “financial interest” in the Political Reform Act, which encompasses interests in business entities, real property, sources of income, sources of gifts, and personal finances that may be affected by the Council’s actions. If you qualify as a “party” or “participant” to a proceeding, and you have made a campaign contribution to a Council Member exceeding $500 made within the last 12 months, you must disclose the campaign contribution before making your comments. 4 June 04, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.paloalto.gov/agendas. Policy & Services Committee Staff Report Report Type: ACTION ITEMS Lead Department: City Clerk Meeting Date: June 4, 2025 Report #:2505-4748 TITLE Recommend to the City Council Approval of the FY 2026 Nonprofit Partnership Workplan Phase I awards This will be a late packet report published on Monday, June 2, 2025. Item 1 Item 1 Staff Report Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 1 Packet Pg. 5 of 13 6 9 9 1 Policy & Services Committee Staff Report From: City Manager Report Type: ACTION ITEMS Lead Department: City Manager Meeting Date: June 4, 2025 Report #:2504-4465 TITLE Recommend City Council Approval of the FY 2026 Nonprofit Partnership Workplan Phase I Award RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Policy & Services Committee discuss and recommend Nonprofit Partnership Workplan Phase I awards to the City Council for approval. BACKGROUND On March 24, 2025, the City Council approved the Nonprofit Partnership Workplan Phase I process, a phased approach to enhancing nonprofit partnerships, beginning with process improvements for nonprofit requests for funding through the FY 2026 City Budget that fall outside currently established funding processes. During the May 12, 2025 Study Session on the FY 2026 Budget, the City Council reached general consensus to follow the Finance Committee’s recommendation to allocate $396,000 to support Phase I of the Nonprofit Partnership Workplan. The Council also recommended that, in reviewing the proposals, the Policy & Services Committee give consideration to previously funded nonprofits: UNAFF, Youth Connected Initiative (YCI), Environmental Volunteers, Magical Bridge, and 3rd Thursday (via the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce). The application period for the Nonprofit Partnership Workplan Phase I was April 2-May 9, 2025. This report provides a summary table of proposals received and results of an initial staff evaluation based on the approved rubric as well as additional information as requested by the Policy & Services Committee at its May 28, 2025 meeting. ANALYSIS A total of 22 proposals were received from registered 501c(3) nonprofit organizations totaling $819,089 in funding requests. Proposals were reviewed by staff, applying the Council approved rubric: Item 1 Item 1 Late Packet Report Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 2 Packet Pg. 6 of 13 6 9 9 1 Criterion Description Weight Score Range 1. Community Reach Measures the number of Palo Alto residents served and the significance of the services.30%1-10 2. Equity Impact Assesses whether the proposal serves underserved or underrepresented groups.30%1-8 3. Alignment with Goals Evaluates alignment with the Council's Priorities 20%1-10 4. Program Sustainability Assesses the organization’s capacity to deliver and sustain its proposal effectively.20%1-10 In addition to the rubric, at its May 28th meeting, the Policy & Services Committee requested that staff summarize additional variables to support the Committee in its discussion and evaluation. Those included staff reviewing the requests to assess whether partial funding would be a viable option for advancing individual requests, categorizing the areas of services to be provided by the proposals, and providing information on the amount and source of other funding received by the City over the last two fiscal years. Additionally, the Committee also requested that staff flag any documents or responses that were not included in the submittal. Attachment A details the proposals and results of the evaluation by staff, in alphabetical order by organization. Descriptions of each column in the table are summarized below. Organization Name- The proposers’ organization name and associated known acronym. FY 2026 Request Amount- Amount of requested funding for the FY 2026 award cycle included in proposal. Partial Program Funding Viable- Identifies if partial funding would be a viable option for advancing individual requests. Yes, indicates that based on the proposals' intended purposes, partial funding would remain helpful to support the intended uses. No, indicates that partial funding would not assist in accomplishing the intended purposes, an example of this is if the requested funding is intended for grant matching funds. Rubric- For each of the four-criterion listed in the rubric, staff indicated a low, medium or high scoring based on the following; staff evaluated proposals as objectively as possible. •Community Reach- Measures the number of Palo Alto residents served and the significance of the services provided, with a weight of 30%. Staff did not evaluate programs based on the number of Palo Alto residents served due to the broad responses. Instead, staff noted whether Palo Alto residents were served as a binary response. Staff focused on the significance of the proposed program’s services by reviewing clarity of program goals, expected outcomes, and alignment with funding requested. Item 1 Item 1 Late Packet Report Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 3 Packet Pg. 7 of 13 6 9 9 1 A High score in this category indicates that the proposal will serve Palo Alto residents, provided a clear program description, clearly stated goals, and demonstrated strong alignment between program outcomes and the funding request. A Medium score reflects those one or more elements, program description, goals, outcomes, or funding request, were unclear or not well aligned. A Low score means the program description was vague; the goals, outcomes, or funding request were misaligned or unclear, or key information was missing. •Equity Impact- Assesses whether the proposal will serve underserved or underrepresented groups, with a weight of 30%. As discussed with the Policy & Services Committee during the development of the proposal, the intent of this section was to determine if the program or service targets underrepresented or underserved populations. This included consideration of whether services were offered at cost, subsidized, or free to the community. Staff evaluated proposals based on cost of service to the community as well as a variety of categories, including: - Racial ethnic minorities - Low-income individuals and families - Women - Rural/isolated communities - People with disabilities - Immigrant and refugee populations - LGBTQ + - Youth and Seniors - Veterans - Unhoused Population - Non-English-speaking communities A High score in this category indicates that the proposal clearly identified the underrepresented or underserved population the program supports, including demographic details and whether services were provided free or at a subsidized rate. A Medium score suggests that a target population was mentioned, but without supporting demographic data or clarity on the program’s reach. It may also indicate that services were not free or subsidized. A Low score means the proposal did not identify an underserved population or whether services were offered at no cost and/or at a reduced rate. •Alignment with Goals- Evaluates alignment with the Council's Priorities, with a weight of 20%. While recognizing that Council priorities may not always fully reflect the breadth of community human service needs, they provided a framework for evaluating a wide range of nonprofit services. The Policy & Services Committee recognized that in retrospect, that this criterion is challenging to measure, especially since the Council Priority Objectives had not yet been adopted by Council during the application period. Scores under this criterion reflect the proposer’s description of the number of Council Priorities its program supports. Item 1 Item 1 Late Packet Report Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 4 Packet Pg. 8 of 13 6 9 9 1 A High score indicates that the proposal services aligned with multiple Council Priorities and demonstrated strong, clear connections to each. A Medium score reflects alignment with fewer Council Priorities and weaker connections. A Low score means the proposal supported only one Council Priority and/or the connections made were inconclusive. As noted above, this criterion could be refined for next year. •Program Sustainability- Assesses the proposal’s demonstrated capacity to deliver and sustain its programs effectively, with a weighting of 20%. To evaluate program sustainability, staff considered several factors, including the proposer’s longevity, overall financial health, the funding request as a percentage of the total program budget, and whether the requested funding would be leveraged to secure additional resources. A high score in this area indicates that the organization is well-established (in operation for five or more years), with no significant concerns identified in the IRS Form 990. Additionally, the program funding request represented less than 20% of the organization's total budget, and the funding would be leveraged to secure future funding opportunities. A Low score could result from several risk factors, including fewer years in operation, multiple concerns in the Form 990, a high reliance on City funding, and a lack of demonstrated fund leveraging. Organizations with moderate risk or a mix of these factors were rated in the Medium range. Area of Service- This column outlines the primary area of service provided by the organization and their proposal. These areas of service terms are not a precise definition, rather staff’s attempt to highlight key areas of service. There is overlap between areas as service impacts may extend beyond the identified key area. Areas of service include Special Needs; Youth Services; Arts & Culture; Nature Education; Job Training; Homelessness; Senior Services. Received City Funding in Last two years- The Committee requested awareness of the historic funding from the City by each organization, the following columns identify if funding was provided and in which manner it was provided to the organizations. •HSRAP- Organizations who received funding from the Human Services Resource Application Process, which an application period is opened every two years and awarded by the Council through review by the Human Relations Commission (HRC). •Emerging Needs- Organizations who receive limited one-time funding from an annual $50,000 allocation of funding to the Community Services Department, that assesses emerging needs on a quarterly basis annually. •Service Contract- Organizations who have a contract with the City for the provision of services that would likely be provided in-house by staff if not provided by the third-party provider. Item 1 Item 1 Late Packet Report Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 5 Packet Pg. 9 of 13 6 9 9 1 •Co-Sponsorship- Organizations who receive other forms of non-monetary support such as free or subsidized use of community facilities, free or subsidized lease space, promotional support such as printed banners, Free ad space in the Enjoy Catalogue or other promotional supported through our website or social media channels. •CDBG- Community Development Block Grants fall under a Federal program, administered by the Planning and Development Services Department that provides a grant opportunity to service providers in alignment with the goals of the CDBG program. •Other- These capture other miscellaneous arrangements that occurred between the City and the organization. Further detail on the specific situation is in the “Staff Comments” column. Staff Comments- Additional context of observations of the materials included in the formal proposal or context for past funding from the City by each organization is further detailed, examples may include prior passthrough grants or lease agreements with price and payment terms at below market rent levels. The Committee also requested whether staff could indicate whether similar program or services as those being proposed were being provided by other nonprofits currently funded by the City, however the information was not possible to compile in time for the publication of this report. FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT No resources are required to support this discussion and public comment item; however, the fiscal impact amount is subject to City Council approval to fund the Nonprofit Partnership Workplan Phase I in the FY 2026 budget. As noted previously, the Finance Committee currently has recommended allocation of $396,000 for this process, including funding allocations provided to some of these organizations previously. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT Stakeholder engagement with nonprofit partners is ongoing through dedicated listening sessions to gather feedback on the nonprofit framework principles and informational sessions on the proposed Nonprofit Workplan. A dedicated webpage is being maintained to provide up to-date information on the Nonprofit Partnership Workplan. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW City Council action on this item is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CEQA guidelines section 15378(b)(2). ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: FY2026 Proposal Summary Table APPROVED BY: Ed Shikada, City Manager Item 1 Item 1 Late Packet Report Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 6 Packet Pg. 10 of 13 Com m u n i t y Rea c h Equ i t y I m p a c t Alig n m e n t w i t h City G o a l s * * Org Sus t a i n a b i l i t y HSR A P Em e r g i n g Nee d s Ser v i c e Con t r a c t Co- S p o n s o r s h i p CDB G Oth e r 1 Ada's Café 25,000$ Y Hi Me Me Hi Special Needs Y 116,399 4,680 121,079$ Proposer receives subsidized lease space at Mitchell Park Community Center. Co-sponsorship included free use of El Palo Alto kitchen in FY 242Children's Health Council 50,000$ Y Me Hi Lo Me Youth Services Y 13,185 13,185$ Budget template not used 3 Dance Action Inc 5,000$ Y Lo Lo Lo Me Arts & Culture N -$ Proposer receives below market value lease space at Cubberley. 4 DreamCatchers 28,643$ Y Hi Hi Lo Hi Youth Services Y 86,157 9,500 95,657$ 5 Environmental Volunteers 10,780$ Y Hi Hi Me Hi Nature Education Y 4,616 11,000 15,616$ Budget template not used. FY2025 Council directed allocation. Proposer receives subsidized lease space at Sea Scout Base. Co- sponsorship includes subsidized use of at City facilities. 6 JobTrain 60,000$ Y Hi Hi Me Hi Job Training N -$ 7 Karat School Project 25,000$ Y Hi Hi Me Hi Homelessn ess Y 24,711 24,711$ 8 LifeMoves 66,366$ Y Hi Hi Me Hi Homelessn ess Y 177,938 10,000 51,883 239,821$ 9 Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen 15,000$ Y Hi Hi Lo Hi Senior Services Y 22,171 22,171$ 10 Magical Bridge Foundation 150,000$ Y Hi Me Me Hi Special Needs Y 5,546 150,000 155,546$ FY 2025 Council directed allocation. Proposer receives free marketing in Enjoy Catalogue. Co-sponsorship includes free use of tennis court for programming, and other City facilities. 11 Midpen Media Center 50,000$ Y Hi Me Hi Me Arts & Culture Y 320,000 320,000$ Budget template not used FY2024 + FY2025 Funding Amounts Attachment A: FY 2026 Nonprofit Partnership Workplan Phase I Proposal Summary Table Rubric* # Organization Name FY 2026 Request Amount Par t i a l P r o g r a m Fun d i n g V i a b l e Area of Service Rec e i v e d C i t y $ i n Las t 2 Y e a r s ? Total FY2024 + FY2025 Funding Received Staff Comments Attachment A: Page 1 of 3 Item 1 Attachment A - FY2026 Proposal Summary Table Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 7 Packet Pg. 11 of 13 Com m u n i t y Rea c h Equ i t y I m p a c t Alig n m e n t w i t h City G o a l s * * Org Sus t a i n a b i l i t y HSR A P Em e r g i n g Nee d s Ser v i c e Con t r a c t Co- S p o n s o r s h i p CDB G Oth e r FY2024 + FY2025 Funding Amounts Attachment A: FY 2026 Nonprofit Partnership Workplan Phase I Proposal Summary Table Rubric* # Organization Name FY 2026 Request Amount Par t i a l P r o g r a m Fun d i n g V i a b l e Area of Service Rec e i v e d C i t y $ i n Las t 2 Y e a r s ? Total FY2024 + FY2025 Funding Received Staff Comments 12 Momentum for Health 15,000$ Y Hi Hi Lo Hi Homelessn ess Y 1,670,544 1,670,544$ US Dept of Health and Human Services grant SAMHSA Program. 13 Museum of American Heritage 10,000$ Y Hi Me Me Hi Arts & Culture N -$ Proposer receives no-cost lease space. 14 Musical Memories Foundation, Inc 5,000$ Y Hi Hi Lo Lo Senior Services N -$ 15 Neighbors Abroad 17,500$ Y Lo Lo Me Me Arts & Culture Y 5,000 8,462 20,000 33,462$ Budget template not submitted. Co- sponsorship includes subsidized use of City facilities for hosting and other meetings. Council directed $20K allocation for hosting services. 16 Palo Alto Chamber Foundation: Third Thursday 46,800$ Y Me Me Hi Me Arts & Culture Y 5,000 x 40,000 45,000$ IRS Form 990 submitted late. FY 2025 Council directed allocation. Co- sponsorship includes promotion of events and City staff engagement. 17 Palo Alto Special Education PTA 5,000$ Y Me Hi Me Me Special Needs N -$ Budget template not submitted 18 Partners & Advocates for Remarkable Children & Adults (PARCA) 5,000$ Y Hi Hi Me Hi Special Needs Y 23,818 23,818$ 19 Peninsula Healthcare Connections Inc 35,000$ Y Hi Hi Hi Hi Homelessn ess Y 26,151 8,039 10,000 44,190$ 20 UNAFF 45,000$ Y Me Me Hi Hi Arts & Culture Y 260,875 45,000 305,875$ FY2025 Council directed allocation. City also provides $10K annual banners and free space at Mitchell Park Community Center. Attachment A: Page 2 of 3 Item 1 Attachment A - FY2026 Proposal Summary Table Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 8 Packet Pg. 12 of 13 Com m u n i t y Rea c h Equ i t y I m p a c t Alig n m e n t w i t h City G o a l s * * Org Sus t a i n a b i l i t y HSR A P Em e r g i n g Nee d s Ser v i c e Con t r a c t Co- S p o n s o r s h i p CDB G Oth e r FY2024 + FY2025 Funding Amounts Attachment A: FY 2026 Nonprofit Partnership Workplan Phase I Proposal Summary Table Rubric* # Organization Name FY 2026 Request Amount Par t i a l P r o g r a m Fun d i n g V i a b l e Area of Service Rec e i v e d C i t y $ i n Las t 2 Y e a r s ? Total FY2024 + FY2025 Funding Received Staff Comments 21 Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired 99,000$ Y Hi Hi Hi Hi Special Needs Y 90,430 90,430$ 22 Youth Community Services 50,000$ N Hi Hi Lo Hi Youth Services Y 76,905 9,289 100,000 186,194$ Proposal is leveraging City funding with County matching funds for total cost of the program, partial funding not viable. Council directed multi-year allocation. Co- sponsorship includes subsidized use of City facilities, and free ad space in the Enjoy Catalogue. 819,089$ Total Requested Funding **Scoring based on organization's articulation of alignment with the number of the 2025 City Council Priorities. Not a reflection of quality or value of program. * Hi = High; Me = Medium; Lo = Low Attachment A: Page 3 of 3 Item 1 Attachment A - FY2026 Proposal Summary Table Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 9 Packet Pg. 13 of 13