HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2603-6088CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Special Meeting
Monday, March 16, 2026
Council Chambers & Hybrid
4:30 PM
Agenda Item
3.Approval of Minutes from March 2, 2026 Meeting Public Comment
City Council
Staff Report
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: City Clerk
Meeting Date: March 16, 2026
Report #:2603-6088
TITLE
Approval of Minutes from March 2, 2026 Meeting
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council review and approve the minutes.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: March 2, 2026 Draft Action Minutes
APPROVED BY:
Mahealani Ah Yun, City Clerk
CITY COUNCIL
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
Page 1 of 5
Regular Meeting
March 2, 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, Reckdahl, Stone, Veenker
Present Remotely: Lythcott-Haims (Traditional Brown Act)
Absent:
Special Orders of the Day
1. Santa Clara County Science and Engineering Fair Association 2026 Science Fair Winners
from Palo Alto
NO ACTION
2. Review Applications and Select Candidates to Interview for the Historic Resources Board
(HRB), Human Relations Commission (HRC), Planning & Transportation Commission
(PTC), Stormwater Management Oversight Committee (SWMOC), and Utilities Advisory
Commission (UAC) Vacancies; CEQA Status - Not a Project
NO ACTION
Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions
Public Comment
Council Member Questions, Comments and Announcements
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
Page 2 of 5
City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 03/02/2026
Study Session
3. Palo Alto Link Program & Transit Futures Review; CEQA status – not a project.
NO ACTION
Consent Calendar
MOTION: Vice Mayor Stone moved, seconded by Councilmember Lu to approve Agenda Item
Numbers 4-8.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
4. Endorsement of the Connect Bay Area Transit Initiative
5. Authorize Transmittal of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Annual Progress Report to the
Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and the 2025 Housing Element
Annual Progress Report to the Department of Housing and Community Development.
CEQA Status: Not a Project.
6. Approval of General Service Contract No. C26195719 with Clean Harbors Environmental
Services, Inc. in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $1,914,000 to Provide Household Hazardous
Waste Management and Emergency Response Services for a Period of Five Years, and
Approval of a Budget Amendment in the Refuse Fund; CEQA Status – Negative
Declarations Previously Approved
7. Approval of Professional Services Contract Number C26195818 With BKF Engineers in an
Amount Not to Exceed of $900,000 Over a 3-year Term for On-Call Surveying and Design
Support Services; CEQA Status – Not a Project
8. Approval of Amendment No. 1 to the Multi-Agency Staffing Agreement for Fire Station
8. CEQA Status – Not a Project.
City Manager Comments
Ed Shikada, City Manager
Action Items
9. Review the 2024 Greenhouse Gas Inventory and S/CAP Key Performance Indicators
Annual Progress Report, and Approve the 2026-2027 S/CAP Work Plan and Receive Six
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
Page 3 of 5
City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 03/02/2026
S/CAP Studies Recommended by the Climate Action and Sustainability Committee; CEQA
Status: Review GHG Inventory and Key Performance Indicators: Not a Project; Potential
Environmental Impacts of the S/CAP Work Plan were Studied in the June 5, 2023 S/CAP
Addendum to the 2017-2031 Comprehensive Plan EIR; this Project is also Exempt
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15183
MOTION: Councilmember Burt moved, seconded by Councilmember Reckdahl to:
1.Approve the 2026-2027 S/CAP Work Plan; and
2.Receive the following studies:
a.S/CAP Funding and Financing Study;
b.S/CAP Funding Source Survey;
c.EV Charger Needs Assessment;
d.Single-family, Multi-family, and Non-Residential Building Sector Studies; and
3.Communications additions:
a.Emphasize the health risks;
b.Develop a communication plan similar to the San Mateo County model and
incentivizing behavior toward our climate action goals;
c.Leverage community partners.
MOTION PASSED: 6-0-1, Lythcott-Haims absent
10.Status Update on Implementation of the Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan; Accept
1) Palo Alto’s Electric System Reliability Indices and Recommended Goals and Reporting,
2) the “Evaluation of Local Energy Resources to Lower Costs and Improve Reliability and
Resiliency” Report (as recommended by Climate Action and Sustainability Committee
and Utilities Advisory Commission) to Complete Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan
Strategy Four and Strategy Five; and Provide Direction to Pursue Various Activities
Related to Flexible Energy Resource and Efficient Electrification to Improve Reliability
and Resiliency; CEQA Status - Not a Project
MOTION: Councilmember Burt moved, seconded by Mayor Veenker to:
1.Accept Palo Alto’s electric system reliability indices and recommended goals and
reporting.
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
Page 4 of 5
City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 03/02/2026
2. Accept the “Evaluation of Local Energy Resources to Lower Costs and Improve Reliability
and Resiliency” report to complete Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan Strategies
Four (Value the benefits of flexible technologies to the utility and community) and Five
(Evaluate the resource needs for various demand reduction and resiliency programs).
3. Direct staff to:
a. Promote City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) customer’s use of energy in off-peak
periods to reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and strain on the electric grid,
and lower energy costs;
b. As opportunities present themselves, and to the extent staff time is available,
evaluate large scale solar and battery opportunities in Palo Alto, either at
publicly owned facilities or through partnerships with private land owners; and
c. Engage the Utilities Advisory Commission, Climate Action and Sustainability
Committee, and Council in an additional discussion on microgrids and long-term
resiliency in 2026.
d. Promote and reduce barriers to adoption, as appropriate, for demand response
capable technologies, solar photovoltaics (PV), battery energy storage system
(BESS), thermal storage, and vehicle to load, home, and grid technologies,
including, but not limited to:
i. Recurring and widespread outreach;
ii. Developing educational materials, online decision tools, and other
resources to help community members evaluate these technologies for
themselves;
iii. Actively auditing regulations and processes for streamlining
opportunities; and
iv. Actively and continuously integrating flexible energy technologies and
efficient electrification into energy programs;
e. Within two years, update cost-benefit analysis for demand response, solar PV,
batteries, thermal storage, and vehicle to load, home, and grid technologies with
an interim annual update of just electric supply costs;
4. Return with recommendations for quantified reductions in SAIDI, SAIFI, and CAIDI, in
addition to the performance metrics already recommended as comparison to industry.
MOTION PASSED: 6-0-1, Lythcott-Haims absent
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
Page 5 of 5
City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 03/02/2026
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 10:44 P.M.
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.
From:herb
To:Council, City; Clerk, City
Subject:March 16, 2026 City Council Meeting, Agenda Item #3: March 2, 2026 Meeting Action Minutes
Date:Sunday, March 15, 2026 3:31:56 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.
MARCH 16, 2026 CITY COUNCIL MEETING
AGENDA ITEM #3: APPROVAL OF MARCH 2, 2026 MEETING ACTIONMINUTES
I urge you to remove this item from your Consent Calendar forthe purpose of amending the Draft Action Minutes of March 2,2026 that currently indicates that "NO ACTION" was taken onagenda Item 2 for that meeting, which was to (1) SelectCandidates to Interview for five Boards, Commissions, andCommittees and (2) decide whether to reopen applications forany Board, Commission, or Committee.
In fact, the City Council did take action to (1) choose theapplicants to be interviewed; (2) reopen the application forone Board by unanimous consent; and reopen one Committeeapplication process because there were no applicationssubmitted.
The Draft Action minutes should show: (1) the names of theCouncil Members who voted for each applicant for each Board andCommission, plus the names of the applicants chosen to beinterviewed; (2) the action taken by previously adoptedprocedure to seek more applications for one Committee; and (3)the action taken by unanimous consent to seek more applicationsfor one Board.
The information required to be shown in the Action Minutes forthe March 2, 2026 Council meeting can be found on the meetingvideo starting at about 15:30.
It is not sufficient to say that the video containing therequested information is part of the official proceedings bythe Council meetings, because when the Council takes an action,that action properly belongs in the Action Minutes of themeeting.
Thank you for your consideration of these comments.
Herb Borock