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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-03-23 City Council Summary MinutesCITY COUNCIL SUMMARY MINUTES Page 1 of 18 Special Meeting March 23, 2026 The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Council Chambers and by virtual teleconference at 5:00 p.m. Present In Person: Burt, Lauing, Lu, Lythcott-Haims, Reckdahl, Stone, Veenker Present Remotely: None Absent: None Call to Order Mayor Veenker called the meeting to order. City Clerk Mahealani Ah Yun called roll and declared all were present. Special Orders of the Day 1. Proclamation Recognizing March as Women's History Month NO ACTION Mayor Veenker spoke of the progress made in women’s rights. However, there was still a gap in equal pay. The definition of women was inclusive and accepted all who identified as women and nonbinary people who identified as other than men. Mayor Veenker thanked the women leaders who attended the meeting. Mayor Veenker recognized Palo Alto’s former women Council members, mayors, other electeds, executive leadership team members and other leaders and thanked them for their service. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims read the proclamation and declared March 2026 Women's History Month in the City of Palo Alto and encouraged all residents to honor the legacy of women past and present, to celebrate their contributions and achievements and to continue advancing equity, opportunity and full participation for women and girls in the community. District 5 Santa Clara County Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga was honored to be in the presence of Palo Alto’s incredible women leaders and thanked them for being great role models. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors had a supermajority of women for the first time in history. Supervisor Abe-Koga honored the women of Palo Alto whose leadership shaped the region and a Certificate of Commendation was presented. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 2 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 Vice Mayor Stone shared that Representative Sam Liccardo, Assemblymember Berman and Senator Josh Becker sent a resolution but, unfortunately, were not able to attend the meeting. Vice Mayor Stone stated it had been an honor to work with Mayor Veenker and Councilmember Lythcott-Haims on the dais and to be in the presence of the incredible leaders who led and made the City what it was and who were personal mentors. Vice Mayor Stone recognized Former Mayor Karen Holman and his mother and wife. Mayor Veenker thanked all for attending the meeting and all who previously served on the dais. A photo of Mayor Veenker, Councilmember Lythcott-Haims and the former women electeds was taken. Mayor Veenker noted that at recess there would be a photo taken at the dais with all council members. Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions City Manager Ed Shikada declared there were no changes. Consent Calendar 2. Approval of Minutes from March 9, 2026 Meeting 3. Approval of a Facility Agreement and Pet Addendum between the City of Palo Alto and the American Red Cross for the use of designated city facilities during disasters. CEQA Status – Not a Project 4. Approval of Purchase Order C26196995 with Insight Public Sector, Utilizing OMNIA Cooperative Contract No. 23-6692-03 , to Procure Mimecast Subscription services, including vendor maintenance, updates, and technical support services, for a 3-Year Term with an Annual Amount of $93,383 for a Total Not-To-Exceed Amount of $281,093; CEQA status - exempt under regulation 15601(b)(3). 5. Approval of Contract Amendment Number 4 to Contract S18165157 with Smart Energy Water Inc. (SEW) in the Amount of $972,625 for an Additional Three Years and for a Revised Not-to-Exceed Total of $2,002,771 for Licensing and Upgrade of the Utilities MyCPAU Customer Portal; CEQA Status – Not a Project Public Comment There were no requests to speak. MOTION: Councilmember Lu moved, seconded by Councilmember Lauing, to approve Agenda Item Numbers 2-5. MOTION PASSED: 7-0 Action Items SUMMARY MINUTES Page 3 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 6. FIRST READING: Adoption of an Ordinance to Amend Chapter 9.73 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Adopt a Local Policy to Implement the Foundational Principles of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) as Recommended by the Policy and Services Committee; CEQA status – Not a Project Deputy City Manager Chantal Cotton-Gains introduced Interim City Attorney Caio Arellano. Interim City Attorney Caio Arellano introduced Municipal Law Fellow Scott Pease who assisted the Deputy City Manager in preparing the ordinance. Mayor Veenker welcomed Municipal Law Fellow Pease. Deputy City Manager Chantal Cotton-Gains discussed the background of the item. The ordinance focused on items that Palo Alto had jurisdiction over. There were other pieces in other CEDAW ordinances at the county and other levels related to healthcare and other topics. Staff had focused on areas that the City had influence and specific power over. The item was linked to the Equity Action Plan and the City’s wellness and belonging efforts, Item 3.4, which intended to adopt the ordinance and then begin implementation. One particular topic would not be assigned to a particular staff person but would be folded into the City’s ongoing work. In December, the Policy & Services Committee unanimously recommended that Council approve the ordinance. Mayor Veenker, previous Chair of the Policy & Services Committee, expressed that the committee affirmed that these principles mattered to the City. Many pieces of the ordinance did not align well with the jurisdiction of the City and Mayor Veenker suggested that others be referred to the HRC to work out the specifics. At this meeting, Council was to consider adopting the ordinance as a foundation for determining how to accomplish everything addressed in the proclamation. The ordinance was a foundational statement of principles aspiring to equity and equality. Certain things had been carved out, such as healthcare because the County addressed that and other things were added, such as childcare. Mayor Veenker encouraged Council to support the ordinance. Vice Mayor Stone, former Policy & Services member, commented this was the beginning of important work. It was important that Policy & Services had referred the item to the HRC to explore strategies and policies to implement the ordinance. Vice Mayor Stone hoped all would support the ordinance. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims recognized former HRC Commissioner Steven Lee for bringing attention to CEDAW and commended Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gains for her work. Mayor Veenker seconded Councilmember Lythcott-Haims’ comments. Public Comment SUMMARY MINUTES Page 4 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 1. Roberta A. was part of a coalition of folks who had been working on this item for 9 years and hoped Council would support it. The document was 3 pages and other Cities’ documents were 26 to 30 pages and Roberta A. hoped that the HRC and others would strengthen it after adoption. Roberta A. suggested there be input from the women leadership of SEIU. 2. Sondra B. supported passing the proposition. 3. Cherrill S. hoped Council would adopt the ordinance, although it was weak in comparison to other Cities’ ordiances. In the future, Cherrill S. would introduce a project to abolish nuclear weapons and would request a Mayors for Peace resolution. 4. Helen had been working on passing CEDAW as an ordinance since 1995 and hoped Council would pass it. Mayor Veenker appreciated and thanked the Cities for CEDAW, the coalition, and the public speakers. Councilmember Lu supported advancing the ordinance. There were opportunities for the City to improve childcare supply and access. Councilmember Lauing supported the ordinance and recognized the work of Mayor Veenker, Vice Mayor Stone and Councilmember Lu. Councilmember Reckdahl wanted the work to move faster. Councilmember Burt echoed the comments of colleagues and recognized Rose Bird, Esther Clark and others. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims looked forward to continuing the work on this. MOTION: Mayor Veenker moved, seconded by Councilmember Lythcott-Haims, to adopt the attached CEDAW Ordinance and refer to the Human Relations Commission to provide recommendations back to Council relating to advancing the ordinance inclusive of appropriate housing options for unhoused individuals and individuals who experience sexual or gender- based violence and childcare. Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gains appreciated the other team members who had worked on the item. MOTION PASSED: 7-0 [Council took a 40-minute recess for a reception] Special Orders of the Day – Boards, Commissions, and Committee Interviews SUMMARY MINUTES Page 5 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 7. Interview Candidates for Vacancies on the Human Relations Commission (HRC), Planning & Transportation Commission (PTC), and Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC); CEQA Status - Not a Project NO ACTION City Clerk Mahealani Ah Yun announced that each candidate was scheduled for a 10-minute interview. Mayor Veenker asked if HRC’s appointment was for a 7-month term and if there were 3 applicants with no incumbents. City Clerk Mahealani Ah Yun confirmed that was correct. Human Relations Commission: Ellen Bob stated she had always been interested in figuring out how to help people get along and to cross boundaries and to recognize what united people rather than what separated them. Ellen Bob spoke of working as the Functions Commissioner at Los Altos High, being a small business owner for 25 years, volunteering for the Palo Alto Mediation Project, and work at Congregation Etz Chayim. Ellen Bob was prepared to be a constructive HRC member and work on any and all items in the HRC Work Plan as needed. Ellen Bob had training in mediation, suicide prevention, mental health first aid, situational awareness, Stop the Bleed, gun violence prevention and nonviolent engagement and deescalation. Palo Altans had more in common that what kept them apart and the HRC contributed to every Palo Altan feeling safe and respected. Vice Mayor Stone inquired what the single most important issue was facing the HRC and how Ellen Bob would contribute to addressing it. Ellen Bob could not point out a single most important issue because more than one priority could be addressed at the same time. For example, mental health and homelessness were connected. As for as the development on San Antonio Road, equity, accessibility, etc., had to be considered. Such issues could not be separated. The HRC Work Plan addressed 5 topics and a 7- person HRC could attend to all the issues. Vice Mayor Stone queried if Ellen Bob would take a leadership role on a particular HRC issue. Ellen Bob answered that she could take a leadership role on any HRC issue. It appeared that there were openings for mental health and CEDAW, which she could work on. Everything was connected to safety and respect. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims requested an example of Ellen Bob helping a person or a community come to greater connectedness and comradery when there had been differences of opinion. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 6 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 Ellen Bob spoke of bringing safe parking to the synagogue parking lot. Residential neighbors, St. Andrews Church and Spark Church had concerns and everyone needed to be brought together. There should be listening and pivoting done upon learning more about a particular issue. Councilmember Lauing asked what Ellen Bob’s superpower was. Ellen Bob was proud of the ability to bring people to consensus. Councilmember Lu requested that Ellen Bob expand on the desire to see more meetings between communities and entities that were in tension with one another. Ellen Bob provided an example of RV dwellers in neighborhoods and noted it would be valuable for those folks to meet each other. Rona Hu, a psychiatrist and professor at the School of Medicine at Stanford, was previously the Medical Director of the Acute Inpatient Unit at Stanford Hospital for 20 years and Associate Dean for the School of Medicine during the pandemic. Rona Hu’s daughter had a mental health diagnosis. Rona Hu tried to bring folks together and had been commended by the City of Half Moon Bay for helping after the mass shooting. In addition to English, Rona Hu spoke Mandarin Chinese, Italian and French. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims queried what had been learned in the conversation with Dr. Shashank Joshi that made Rona Hu want to serve on the HRC. Rona Hu had applied because she could be of help. Mayor Veenker requested that Rona Hu expand on the multifactorial aspect of mental health and asked how many factors were addressed at once. Rona Hu stated one had to prioritize, focus and listen. In working with Half Moon Bay, psychological skills were needed to take care of the victims and those helping the victims. Rona Hu added that homelessness and mental health were very connected. Councilmember Lu questioned if Rona Hu wanted to speak to anything in addition to mental health. Rona Hu wanted to help with things she had experience in and in areas where she had less experience. Councilmember Burt inquired if the City should be doing more, doing things differently or doing anything in addition to what was being done with mental health partners. Rona Hu was familiar with the range of initiatives in the community and hoped to be helpful in all of them. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 7 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 Raizel Rosenberg was an engineering manager at a prefab housing company and a renter. Serving on the HRC had been a long-time personal goal. Raizel Rosenberg had closely followed the HRC’s meetings to better understand its priorities. Since submitting the application, her goals had been refined to better align with the draft 2026 HRC Work Plan, which included strengthening community engagement; following the Safety Net’s lead as it related to mental health; strengthening the liaison role with Avenidas; helping evaluate funding decisions with a focus on real-world impact, operational feasibility and efficiency while ensuring that allocated resources would reach the community members most in need; finding a pragmatic application for Palo Alto as it related to CEDAW; and applying lived experience. Raizel Rosenberg was a bilingual Spanish speaker with close friends who were RV dwellers and was eager to help the HRC liaison work with Buena Vista and RV communities. Raizel Rosenberg was a Mexican American with Jewish heritage and would bring a multicultural lens and a deep commitment to empathy, equity and belonging. Vice Mayor Stone queried what the single most important issue was facing the HRC and how Raizel Rosenberg would address it. Raizel Rosenberg wanted to focus on youth mental health. Helping the City create the first Pride event was a big goal. Councilmember Reckdahl questioned if the City could better address renter protections. Raizel Rosenberg stated there was opportunity for renters to feel more secure to ensure a long- term future in Palo Alto. Mayor Veenker requested that Raizel Rosenberg speak to researching safe and acceptable AI practices. Raizel Rosenberg noted that Palo Alto adopted safe and acceptable AI practices, which should be approached delicately while listening to the community’s feedback on the use of the software and consideration should be given to those who had access to it. The studies and ongoing cases in law concerning AI use as it related to mental health should be taken into consideration. Mayor Veenker questioned if there was a connection with AI and social media and if it played a role in mental health. Raizel Rosenberg replied there was a huge connection between AI and social media and it was sometimes hard to tell what was real. Residents should be aware that they could not always tell at first glance if something was real and residents should be made aware of the resources to address that. Councilmember Lauing requested that Raizel Rosenberg discuss working with the PTC for alternative paths to home ownership and asked what the library objective was. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 8 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 Raizel Rosenberg responded options could be explored to increase alternative pathways to housing and certain resources and people should be allocated to address it. The library objective related to AI and preparing residents for emerging technologies. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims requested an example of Raizel Rosenberg’s roots in various places being a skillset and an asset. Raizel Rosenberg answered that recently a drug cartel had been taken down in her home state in Mexico, which allowed her to address those from Mexico or who had connections there with greater empathy and understanding on their day-to-day. Councilmember Burt requested that Raizel Rosenberg speak to the role of AI intersecting with the HRC. Raizel Rosenberg requested there be a joint listening session with the library to educate residents on AI being a tool and how the City would apply it. In closing, Raizel Rosenberg thanked Council for the opportunity to be a part of the HRC. Utilities Advisory Commission: Mayor Veenker mentioned there were 3 full-terms positions of 3 years each and that 2 must be filled by Palo Alto residents. Robert Phillips, a 45+ year Palo Alto resident, had a career as an academic professor at Stanford and Columbia University, had started a company, worked at Amazon, Hoover, etc., and was an author. Robert Phillips served on the UAC for the last 3 years and on the Budget Subcommittee. Councilmember Burt requested that Robert Phillips discuss the relationship of the UAC and Council, Council committees and staff and asked what should be done differently or better. Robert Phillips answered that the UAC was a liaison between staff and Council. The relationship with subcommittees could be done better by hearing directly from representatives, not via staff or YouTube videos. Council representatives had not been present at the UAC enough. Councilmember Reckdahl questioned how folks would be encouraged to transition from natural gas to electricity. Robert Phillips answered that more than 80 percent of Palo Alto residents had at least 1 gas utility and the adoption rate would not make an immediate difference. Palo Alto had the smallest gas utility in California. It might come to a point that it would not be economically viable for the Palo Alto Utility to support the needs. The less advantaged might be supporting the entire salary and infrastructure for gas. At a point of it becoming nonviable, consideration might need to be given to PG&E, for example, managing it. Mayor Veenker asked if there were areas on the UAC that could benefit from a diversified experience or background. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 9 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 Robert Phillips answered that everybody on the current commission brought something. Robert Phillips did not see any one thing lacking. The commission would occasionally get too far into the details and might lose the strategic viewpoint but it was not one aspect. Vice Mayor Stone inquired how the UAC could work with Council to keep utility rates manageable. Robert Phillips replied that the UAC had kept rates manageable to some extent. The UAC should inform Council about BAWSCA and SFPUC and bring Council in when a voice was needed. Double-digit increases were inevitable and the UAC should help Council determine ways to help mitigate that. Councilmember Lu noted that there was a split vote on the UAC concerning minimum purchase agreements with SFPUC and inquired what Robert Phillips’ view on that. Robert Phillips thought the big issue was the relationships. There was frustration on the UAC with SFPUC and to some extent with BAWSCA concerning the lack of responsiveness. It had been forecasted that the commodity rate for water would rise by 1 percent and it ended up rising 7.6 percent and the difference made planning and relationships difficult. There should be a way to communicate and deal with the issues and going through BAWSCA might be the right way to do it. Meagan Mauter had served on the UAC for the past 3 years and as vice chair for the last year. Meagan Mauter enjoyed her time on the UAC because it provided an opportunity, as a business owner, to have a say about how utilities were run, to make sure staff was running the best set of utilities possible and to help think about Palo Alto in the context of a region to more efficiently operate utilities. Meagan Mauter was as a full-time faculty member in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Stanford and the Research Director for the National Alliance for Water Innovation. Councilmember Burt requested that Meagan Mauter speak to differences in her initial expectations of the role and what had been experienced and what the UAC might do differently. Meagan Mauter had entered the position envisioning a stronger focus on strategy within the utilities and less of a focus on items related to routine rate-setting and other standing items. There had been a push over the past year to think more about long-term strategy and engagement in S/CAP, long-term planning for the gas utility, ways utilities were connected to each other, addressing fiber issues and rolling out a strategy and supporting staff with the value judgments when setting strategy. Councilmember Reckdahl asked what Meagan Mauter’s proudest accomplishment was and biggest disappointment on the UAC. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 10 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 Meagan Mauter stated onboarding the Utilities Director was a smooth transition. Meagan Mauter wanted to strengthen cost-savings opportunities by exploring regional solutions and engaging with BACWA and BAWSCA. Councilmember Lu requested that Meagan Mauter discuss research and cutting-edge academia that could be brought to Palo Alto. Meagan Mauter responded that Palo Alto had become a living laboratory for some first-of-a- kind adoption of some of the research done by her group and what had been seen across the civil and environmental engineering community and the sustainability community more broadly. However, a commissioner should not impose on Palo Alto research they were doing on a daily basis. It was important to keep those fairly distinct. Although, Meagan Mauter did engage with staff on suggestions. Meagan Mauter discussed wastewater cost increases and the opportunity for Palo Alto’s wastewater treatment plant to serve as a buyer and a seller in the market. Mayor Veenker queried if the UAC had enough of a connection with NCPA or if more information was needed. Meagan Mauter did not think there was a disconnect. There might be an opportunity for stronger communication where decisions were on the horizon, such as fiber and water. As for water, there was a stronger need to engage Council as there was a disconnect and divide on the UAC. City Clerk Yun announced that Benjamin Piiru withdrew the application. Julia Zeitlin was a student at Stanford studying environmental systems engineering with a focus on sustainable urban systems, began work in climate advocacy in the seventh grade, in high school focused on getting the youth invested in Palo Alto’s climate goals, built a coalition to work with the City to achieve 80 x 30, interned for the Palo Alto’s Office of Sustainability in 2024, helped start Palo Alto’s Youth Climate Advisory Board and led the Bay Area Heat Mapping Campaign. Julia Zeitlin currently worked as a fellow in Stanford’s Office of Sustainability and focused on implementing electrification projects and was partnered with Acterra to start an induction cooktop lending program for faculty and staff and to pilot window-packaged heat pumps into the homes of Stanford faculty and staff. Julia Zeitlin was applying to serve, not drive an agenda. On one hand, Julia Zeitlin understood the challenging balance between services and affordability for rate payors and, on the other hand, the financial stability and security of the Utility. The UAC commissioners had a difficult job and Julia Zeitlin commended them for their work. Julia Zeitlin would bring energy, hard work and the perspective of young residents to the UAC. Councilmember Burt asked where Julia Zeitlin would contribute the most to the UAC and if the UAC should focus differently. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 11 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 Julia Zeitlin replied there was an ongoing effort to increase engagement between Council and the UAC, which should be continued to determine what would be most helpful in presenting recommendations to Council. Julia Zeitlin was interested in furthering the efforts in multifamily electrification and ensuring equitable electrification. Councilmember Lu requested that Julia Zeitlin discuss innovative opportunities for Palo Alto Utilities. Julia Zeitlin was acutely interested in reliability and resiliency and there was an opportunity to do innovative pilots with battery storage and perhaps there could be a partnership with Stanford. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims requested that Julia Zeitlin discuss her advocation for data centers. Julia Zeitlin understood that data centers benefited the City and there was an opportunity to prioritize businesses in Palo Alto and give them a chance to benefit from the technology but there should be caution in moving forward to reduce adverse impacts. Data centers could help stabilize electric rates. Councilmember Reckdahl questioned what could be done better to convince people to part with gas appliances. Julia Zeitlin replied that was a big challenge. The work Palo Alto was doing to incentive the switch could be better communicated. Some Palo Altans were not aware of 80 x 30 or the electrification opportunities the City offered. Palo Alto should cautiously but carefully study what the next phase should be in terms of more aggressive ordinances or codes. Vice Mayor Stone inquired why the UAC would benefit from the youth voice and perspective. Julia Zeitlin responded it was important that a younger person represent younger people in the community, who were concerned with long-term planning and sustainability of the Utility. Greg Scharff had been chair of the UAC for 2 years and was completing a second term and had been mayor for 2 years and the NCPA commissioner for 8 years. Grid modernization was important and what was being done, how much was being spent and how it would affect rates long term should be balanced. The UAC was starting to focus on strategically keeping utility rates down but capital projects needed to be done and safety should not be minimized. Following the FTTP pilot, it should be determined if it would work financially and make sense for Palo Alto. It appeared that Palo Alto would get another transmission corridor/interconnect. Councilmember Lauing asked what necessary changes Greg Scharff had seen over his years of involvement and what other changes should be made. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 12 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 Greg Scharff answered there should be more focus on the details and assumptions being made should be questioned. The UAC should take a holistic approach given the financial cost the City was facing. Councilmember Burt questioned what role Greg Scharff saw for future mandates to move the dial on electrification. Greg Scharff replied that moving the dial on electrification was tricky. Mandates might play a key role if they were smart, well thought out and gave people enough time. It was hard to imagine that the electrification goal would be met in 4 years given the current adoption rate. There should be a realistic and achievable plan and Greg Scharff understood staff was in the process of developing different aspects of the plan. The death spiral of the gas utility had not yet been planned for. Councilmember Reckdahl inquired what could be done proactively to prevent rate hikes in the future. Greg Scharff responded that rate hikes were often driven by how much was going into CapEx and there were things beyond the City’s control, such as the price of natural gas, water, etc. Staff should explain why CapEx projects were needed. Councilmember Lu noted that Greg Scharff had a few absences in 2025 and questioned if there should be concerns about availability. Greg Scharff answered there should be no concerns regarding availability. Olgu Tanriverdi, a Palo Alto resident, had worked in the energy industry for over 15 years, mostly in California, and did a PhD thesis on horizontal access wind turbine and renewable energy generation and how it would penetrate into the CAISO market, especially MRTU. Olgu Tanriverdi had an above-average knowledge of energy generation, third-party contracts, transmission line constraints and upgrades in energy generation depending on hydro, gas turbines and any other forms. Olgu Tanriverdi could help the UAC make informed decisions in terms of strategy and long-term vision and was aware of the limitations and constraints Palo Alto had. Olgu Tanriverdi had been involved with RFO substations with the evaluation of various contracts in different energy generations. Mayor Veenker requested that Olgu Tanriverdi speak to interest and/or experience with utilities other than electricity. Olgu Tanriverdi replied that he would be helpful with utilities other than electricity but was not as versatile in the other utilities but would study them to be able to advise Council as best as possible. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 13 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 Councilmember Burt asked how the City might not only incorporate a deeper utilization of data science but how AI might empower some of what the City was attempting to do in achieving efficiency to customers, within the Utility and otherwise. Olgu Tanriverdi stated that AI would help a lot with forecasting, complex data analysis, etc. Vice Mayor Stone questioned how rates might be managed. Olgu Tanriverdi answered that the terms, expiration dates and performance of current contracts should be reviewed and then the City should look for partners to see what new generation could be procured with better rates. Changes to infrastructure would provide better efficiency but detailed calculations would be required to ensure that the investment would recoup the expected benefits. In addition, current assets should be investigated. In closing, Olgu Tanriverdi thanked Council for their time. Olgu Tanriverdi could help in various ways with his energy industry experience and wanted to learn more about and help Council with current challenges. [The Council took a 15-minute break] Planning and Transportation Commission: Mayor Veenker announced that Council would interview 4 PTC applicants at this meeting and 2 on April 6. Tom Siegal, a 25 year Palo Alto resident, half the time as a renter and half as a homeowner, had experience with planning issues. Tom Siegal was a 6-year member and president of the Citizen Oversight Committee of the Palo Alto school bond, which primarily dealt with construction and planning issues; was a small business owner for a while dealing with commercial leasing and employee housing issues; was president of the board of a small, private school, which relocated and required planning and permitting issues; had built an ADU on his property; and was part of a small group that rented aircraft at the Palo Alto Airport. Tom Siegal was interested in being on the PTC for 3 reasons – to create and retain a livable city while protecting its character, to bring different voices and perspectives to complex issues and to speed up the decision processes. Tom Siegal had reorganized his personal life to set aside about 10 hours per week to be involved in community service and activities. Vice Mayor Stone queried if Council or the PTC had been considering a particular policy that would help with the housing goals and if the PTC could improve those. Tom Siegal disagreed with the possibility of a tall building on the Mollie Stone site and supported building housing on the former Fry’s site and areas closer to commercial. Councilmember Lu questioned, with the exception of the Mollie Stone site, how Tom Siegal felt about infill housing in general in Palo Alto and housing downtown, on California Avenue and near the San Antonio Caltrain station and what the infill housing opportunities might be – SUMMARY MINUTES Page 14 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 parking lots, small commercial buildings – and what policies the PTC could work on for infill housing. Tom Siegal felt it would be good to have more community spaces around the built-up areas. More housing on California Avenue, etc., would create more life and livable spaces. It would be good to fill it in due to the current congestion there. Some of the single-story buildings in the denser areas could be raised to 3 or 4 stories. Tom Siegal supported creating more parking structures to remove on-street and parking lot-style parking and turning that space into cohesive housing. Councilmember Lauing asked what allowed Tom Siegal to deal with council members, school board members, and colleagues and be able to make progress. Tom Siegal had run the policy function for a large technology company and dealt with a lot of very difficult and contentious issues that were not black-and-white decisions. Tom Siegal separated facts from opinions and broke down complex issues to aid in making faster decisions. Councilmember Lauing questioned if Tom Siegal’s decisions were made using facts and opinions. Tom Siegal replied there was no right or wrong for many issues but facts needed to be clearly separated from opinions. Decision-making bodies had to use their judgment, values and convictions but it should be founded on good information. Councilmember Burt inquired what the common ground was on housing goals. Tom Siegal wanted to create and retain a livable city and city character was very important and had to be the guiding principle. There were opportunities to increase housing while not violating core principles, such as the Mollie Stone site. Councilmember Reckdahl asked how Tom Siegal heard all voices, not just the loudest. Tom Siegal responded that it was important to be out in the community, visit sites, attend community events and connect with community organizations and solicit input. In closing, Tom Siegal appreciated the questions. Tom Siegal could commit to the needed time investment. Forest Olaf Peterson stated that working as a hod carrier and earning a PhD shaped his work on the PTC. Forest Olaf Peterson read documents, asked hard questions and represented those who could not be in the room. Forest Olaf Peterson believed he was the only commissioner who was a renter and got to every meeting by foot, Caltrain, bus or BART; therefore, lived transportation and housing policy every day. On the PTC, Forest Olaf Peterson tried to address flood protection, the Baylands, labor standards and public contracts. Forest Olaf Peterson continued to chair the Valley Water Flood Protection Subcommittee monitoring the San Francisquito corridor. Forest Olaf Peterson wanted to continue serving on the PTC. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 15 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 Councilmember Burt asked if Forest Olaf Peterson wanted to share anything about events and ethics that might inform Council’s decision on the reappointment. Forest Olaf Peterson responded that as a commissioner he listened to and asked questions of the public. Forest Olaf Peterson was known internationally as an ethnographer, mostly in workforce education, and became part of the fabric of what was being considered and brought that policy to the PTC. Forest Olaf Peterson tried to live, understand and experience issues that came before the PTC and some people did not appreciate that. Forest Olaf Peterson was a labor standards investigator and an academic at Stanford, which held him to higher ethical standards than the general public, and he had to answer to many people and in 20 years had had no deficits to his behavior. Councilmember Reckdahl asked Forest what should be done about the housing opportunity along El Camino, which was contentious because it would impact nearby neighbors. Forest Olaf Peterson responded that the El Camino corridor was interesting and explained that the PTC had a case that involved an assisted living facility wanting to expand and there had been an agreement built in 20 or 30 years ago with the community. New residents moved in under that agreement but expanding the facility would push against housing of probably every lot on El Camino, including the motel that had a creek flowing through the middle of it. It was important to navigate the commercial urban divide to be respectful of the residents and the businesses. Councilmember Reckdahl questioned what solutions would be respectful to all parties if large buildings were proposed along El Camino. Forest Olaf Peterson wanted more daylight and noise analyses. The City was reliant on consultants for data analysis and oftentimes the consultants presented 2-dimensional information and decisions were being made on that but the noise domes and the shading throughout the day would be unclear. More information models should be used to create more fairness and transparency. Vice Mayor Stone spoke of San Francisquito Creek and the Reach 2 project and asked what role the PTC should have in reviewing plans and proving feedback to Council, the JPA, etc. Forest Olaf Peterson explained that San Francisquito Creek by itself was a case study of governance. All involved should work together and not be siloed. Councilmember Lauing questioned how models would help with the outcome of PTC meetings. Forest Olaf Peterson responded that technology would help and staff should be encouraged with technology. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 16 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 Councilmember Lauing noted that Forest Olaf Peterson’s application mentioned a priority of continuing to focus on reducing staff time demands and limiting ad hoc follow-ups and asked if the PTC had to request additional information because they did not get it from staff. Forest Olaf Peterson responded that threading the needle was challenging. Bryna Chang had been on the PTC for 5 years, was currently vice chair and was previously vice chair and chair; lived in Palo Alto for 45 years; previously taught as a lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business and ran the MBA program on the staff side; had product management and consulting experience; was trained as a biologist, so had scientific research and conservation management experience; volunteered in the community; was involved in PAUSD before the PTC; was on the JLS PTC Executive Board; served a cumulative 10 years on various site councils at elementary, middle and high schools; and served on a MidPen Working Group. Bryna Chang enjoyed working on the PTC and hoped to do it another 4 years. Councilmember Burt requested that Bryna Chang share thoughts on how the PTC might work more effectively. Bryna Chang answered that churn happening between the PTC and Council was a big issue with items being returned and sometimes the context in which the PTC made decisions had not been fully transmitted to Council. Bryna Chang had been working with staff trying to surface issues that might be raised. Bryna Chang and Chair Akin recently wrote a letter to Council to flag some of the issues. Staff had been encouraged to remind Council that the PTC had a Council Liaison. Bryna Chang often tried to present issues to various council members offline. Councilmember Reckdahl asked what Bryna Chang was most proud of related to her PTC career. Bryna Chang was very proud of the Dark Skies Ordinance and the Bird-Friendly Design Ordinance, which were now more practical and effective and listening to the community had been critical in accomplishing that. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims noted that CEO of LifeMoves once stated, "I respect the past but I am loyal to the future," and requested that Bryna Chang reflect on that statement with regard to housing in the City and the work of the PTC. Bryna Chang answered it was important to keep what was good about Palo Alto but there needed to be a look forward to determine how the city could be affordable to all residents. There were good blocks on El Camino Real to build height as it backed up to office, was near transportation, was a big corridor and would not have as negative of an effect on the surrounding community as it might at the end of Cal Ave. Vice Mayor Stone asked Bryna Chang if there should be more focus on a particular housing policy to meet RHNA goals. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 17 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 Bryna Chang was most concerned about the affordability RHNA goals, so there should be a focus on where funds would come from. Resources and subsidies should be applied to truly affordable housing. Housing being affordable for median income would not address the needs of teachers, etc. Councilmember Lu noted there were a few cases when the PTC was more bearish on a project than Council had been and asked Bryna Chang how there could be alignment with the PTC making many changes to projects Council liked. Bryna Chang replied that PTC was a recommending body and the Staff Report should accurately reflect PTC’s discussions and make Council aware of what the disagreements related to. The issues needed to be adequately surfaced as a recommending body. Jeff Watt addressed his application noting that his long career in the semiconductor industry did not have any significant overlap with PTC but he had experience in managing large projects, especially over the last few years for DARPA, which involved a large staff, many stakeholders, clients and subcontractors. The programs were budget and time constrained with a lot of legal compliance issues. Pragmatic decisions had to be made on almost a daily basis. Jeff Watt had been in South Palo Alto over 30 years, which would allow him to bring a perspective to the PTC that was currently somewhat limited on the commission. Jeff Watt spoke of Seattle’s transit- oriented approaches and outcomes being 10 or 15 years ahead of Palo Alto in terms of implementing transient-oriented development. Jeff Watt was on the Board of the Palo Alto Historical Association but did not believe in preserving the city like a relic and wanted Cal Ave to be a more vibrant urban village. Councilmember Lauing noted that Jeff Watt’s application addressed some projects having extended processes and repeated revisions that did not necessarily produce better outcomes and asked for examples of such. Jeff Watt responded that the Hyatt Ricky's and the Alma Lucky developments and the pedestrian bridge across 101 went on for a long time without the best outcomes. Jeff Watt’s background was very data-driven, so he was familiar with making decisions based on data, which often was incomplete data. Perfection should not be the enemy of good enough and decisions should be made with a sense of urgency. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims found it intriguing that Jeff Watt was on the Palo Alto Historical Society Association yet did not want the city preserved as a relic, which seemed to be incompatible views. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims requested that Jeff Watt share how these things were brought into greater balance. Jeff Watt was familiar with Palo Alto’s history going back earlier than the Spanish expeditions in the 1770s and up through more modern times. Significant historical elements and resources should be preserved but there should be movement forward as more housing and opportunities were needed. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 18 of 18 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 03/23/2026 Councilmember Reckdahl asked what could be better done as it related to the Housing Element. Jeff Watt had not studied the Housing Element in great detail, so did not have any specific suggestions. Jeff Watt spent some time reviewing the San Antonio Road Area Plan, which was a key component to adding housing, although there were challenges with transportation and mobility issues. SB 79 would be coming soon and AB 2097 would limit parking, which would impact that corridor. California Avenue was a great opportunity for housing. Jeff Watt was not necessarily in favor of a tall development at Mollie Stone’s, but it was a great opportunity to add significant housing to that area and it could help make the area vibrant. Councilmember Lu queried what opportunities Jeff Watt saw for transit-oriented development and what it could consist of downtown or on Cal Ave. Jeff Watt replied that there were stations downtown, Cal Ave and San Antonio, so there was an opportunity to add a significant amount of housing, which would be mandated by SB 79, which the City needed to be prepared for and proactively decide how it would happen. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims requested examples of Seattle being 15 years ahead of Palo Alto and what the City should be urged toward. Jeff Watt responded that Seattle had a very good light rail system and the zoning done 10 or 15 years ago promoted high-density housing close to where the stations would be. Residents advocated for putting stations in the middle of the urban villages. Height had been tapered down through midrise and low-rise zoning out to the residential areas. Residential parking programs had been implemented, which helped but parking was still a challenge. The developers understood that market forces demanded parking. The model could be used as a learning tool. Mayor Veenker announced that Council would cast votes at the April 13 meeting. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 9:01 p.m.