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Home My WebLink About2026-05-14 Council Appointed Officers Committee Agenda PacketCOUNCIL APPOINTED OFFICER COMMITTEE Special Meeting Thursday, May 14, 2026 Community Meeting Room & Hybrid 3:30 PM All Council 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 76, 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/89296018574) Meeting ID: 892 9601 8574 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. Multiple individuals who wish to speak on the same item may designate a spokesperson. Spokespersons must be representing five or more verified individuals who are present either in person or via zoom. Spokespeople will be allowed up to 10 minutes, at the discretion of the presiding officer. Speaking time may be reduced if the presiding officer reduces the speaking time for individual speakers. 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 type 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 May 14, 2026 Materials submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.paloalto.gov/agendas. CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMENTS 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 the end of the agenda. ACTION ITEM 1.Review and discuss the Council Appointed Officers (CAO) performance evaluation process and timeline for FY26 and make a recommendation to the City Council; CEQA status – not a project FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Members of the public may not speak to the item(s) ADJOURNMENT 2 May 14, 2026 Materials submitted 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 Community Meeting Room 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: 892 9601 8574 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 May 14, 2026 Materials submitted 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 May 14, 2026 Materials submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.paloalto.gov/agendas. Council Appointed Officers Committee Staff Report Report Type: ACTION ITEM Lead Department: Human Resources Meeting Date: May 14, 2026 Report #:2604-6323 TITLE Review and discuss the Council Appointed Officers (CAO) performance evaluation process and timeline for FY26 and make a recommendation to the City Council; CEQA status – not a project RECOMMENDATION Review and discuss proposed changes to the CAO performance evaluation process and make a recommendation to the City Council regarding the FY 2026 evaluation process. BACKGROUND On December 10, 2025, the CAO Committee reviewed the FY2025 CAO evaluation process with Dan Rich, the Municipal Resources Group (MRG) consultant who facilitated the evaluation process. Dan presented potential adjustments for the FY2026 evaluation process. Specifically, the Committee discussed: • Can the timeline be compressed more • Should the prompts for the CAOs be reduced or changed • Should the questions posed of Council be reduced or changed • Should the structure of the closed session with the appointees be altered • Should the Auditor be handled differently given the unique nature of the position • Is there a way to better align calendar year Council priorities with FY CAO goals No action was taken but discussion ensued and general agreement was reached on possible changes. DISCUSSION The purpose of this agenda is to review the FY2026 proposed timeline and process, and also to make a final recommendation on the points that were discussed in December. The CAO Committee should provide a recommendation to the full Council in June for any changes to be incorporated into the FY2026 CAO evaluation process. Item 1 Item 1 Staff Report Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 1 Packet Pg. 5 of 12 Based on the discussion in December, attached for the CAO Committee’s review are drafts of the following developed by the consultant; A) Proposed FY2026 Proposed timeline; B) Proposed edits to the FY2025 Appointee Questions; and C) Proposed edits to the FY2025 Council interview questions. Suggested Agenda items for May 14 CAO meeting: FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ATTACHMENTS APPROVED BY: Item 1 Item 1 Staff Report Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 2 Packet Pg. 6 of 12 P. O. Box 561, Wilton, CA 95693 916-261-7547 www.Solutions-MRG.com PALO ALTO 25-26 CAO EVALUATIONS – DRAFT TIMELINE Date Action May 14 CAO Committee meeting to review/finalize process (timeline and questions for CAO’s and Council to respond to) Late May MRG consultant send CAO’s brief update on the tentative 2026 Evaluation process Early June (1 or 8?) Consent Item to full Council on process/timeline Early June Process, timeline and self-evaluation prompts distributed to CAOs; Sandra sends to Council July 10 CAO’s self-evaluations due July 16 MRG sends Mayor & City Council self-evaluations and interview questions in advance of individual meetings July 21 – August 13 MRG to conduct interviews with Council to gather their input and experiences with the appointees (zoom or in person) Sept. 3 MRG distributes draft performance evaluations, goals, salary info to Council September Closed Sessions: Review of draft evaluations – week of Sept 7 City Manager – week of Sept 21 City Attorney, City Clerk and compensation for all – week of Sept 28 Mid Sept. Final evaluations distributed to Council and CAO’s (after first closed session) Early Oct. Following approval, MRG routes final docs via DocuSign for signature Mid Oct. Schedule debrief conversations with CAO’s Council approval of amended Employment Agreements for CAOs Early Nov CAO Committee to meet and debrief on the process Item 1 Attachment A - Proposed FY26 Process Timeline Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 3 Packet Pg. 7 of 12 P. O. Box 561, Wilton, CA 95693 916-261-7547 www.Solutions-MRG.com Suggested Agenda items for May 14 CAO meeting: • Review and approval of timeline • Review and approval of self-evaluation prompts • Review and approval of Council interview questions • Discuss expectations regarding KPIs • Discuss process for new City Attorney • Discuss process for Auditor • Confirm date for Council Consent item on process Item 1 Attachment A - Proposed FY26 Process Timeline Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 4 Packet Pg. 8 of 12 DRAFT 4/11/26 QUESTIONS TO DRIVE THE PALO ALTO CAO EVALUATION PROCESS – Council would like the appointed officials to respond to some specific questions in the self- evaluation, which will help focus the Council interviews and final evaluation: a. What is your overall assessment of the state of the Palo Alto organization (as it related to your role)? b. What do you consider your key achievements in the last fiscal year, including as called out in Council-identified priorities and the specific goals identified in your most recent performance evaluation (performance against goals, including KPI’s for the CM as appropriate)? c. What do you see as areas of concern or vulnerability (to include organization- wide and/or department-specific comments, but not personnel-specific). d. How are your direct reports performing? (for example: productivity, morale, collaboration, communication, recruitment, etc.). e. What are your observations on the organization’s fiscal health (strengths and risks). For CM only f. What are the trends you see from your vantage point and expertise that the City needs to be thinking about (regional, state, national, etc. issues that impact the City)? g. What is your characterization of the effectiveness of Appointed Official/Elected Official relationships (availability, responsiveness, communication, open mindedness, etc.) h. What are your suggested priorities for the coming year, and how would you measure their success (draft KPIs)? i. What do you need from the Council in the next fiscal year and beyond to be successful? j. What is your compensation “ask”? k. What else would you like to share with the Council? l. For the City Attorney: modify as appropriate given short tenure and no formal goals established; add: what are your observations so far on the organization, your department and the significant legal issues facing the City. Item 1 Attachment B - Draft Appointee Guiding Questions Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 5 Packet Pg. 9 of 12 CITY OF PALO ALTO CITY MANAGER 2026 EVALUATION – COUNCIL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Based on your observations and his self-evaluation, what do you see as the top 2-3 personal strengths and organizational achievements of City Manager from the past year? 2. How did the City Manager do on achieving Council’s priority goals and his stated Council adopted priorities for FY 25-26? Please be as specific as possible. 3. Does the City Manager have areas for development that should be addressed to help him grow in this role? 4. What are your observations on the organization’s fiscal health (strengths and risks)? 5. Does the organization face vulnerabilities or challenges that you can see and would like the City Manager to be aware of? 6. How does the City Manager provide the elected officials with the support needed to govern effectively (availability, responsiveness, communication, etc.); are there specific opportunities or areas for him to grow? 7. Please share your perception of the City Manager’s leadership and how it effectively meets the needs of the organization and community (such as: vision, leading others, partnering, decisiveness/consensus decision making, developing a team, managing conflict, leveraging resources, etc.). Provide specific examples as possible. 8. How has the City Manager done in the past year in leading others? 9. Is there any feedback (positive or constructive) you would like to provide about the operation of departments (not people specific)? 10. How well does the City Manager anticipate issues and think strategically to address trends and long-term issues? 11. Are there any additional comments or suggestions that you would like to add concerning the City Manager’s performance over the past year (e.g., Fiscal Health, Community Vitality, etc.)? 12. What do you think are the top 2-3 issues the CM should specifically focus on as priorities for FY 26-27 and beyond? Item 1 Attachment C - Draft Council Interview Questions Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 6 Packet Pg. 10 of 12 CITY OF PALO ALTO CITY ATTORNEY 2026 EVALUATION – COUNCIL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 1. How satisfied are you with the verbal and written analysis, as well as advice, provided by the City Attorney regarding topic such as active litigation, settlements and pending risk issues? a. Are you satisfied with the work of outside Counsel retained by the City Attorney? 2. What are the top 2-3 strengths and/or achievements of the City Attorney since he started in the past year that should be highlighted? 3. How did the City Attorney do on supporting achievement of C ouncil’s priority goals for FY25-26 and on achieving the stated goals in her evaluation from last year? Please be as specific as possible. 4. Does the City Attorney have any areas for additional development that you think he should work onshould be brought to her attention? 5. Does the organization face legal vulnerabilities or challenges that you can see? How well did has the City Attorney done so far in spotting or bringing forward those or other challenges? 6. How well does the City Attorney anticipate issues and think strategically to address trends and long-term issues? 7. Are there any additional comments or suggestions that you would like to add concerning the City Attorney’s performance since he began over the past year? 8. What do you think are the top 2-3 issues the City Attorney should focus on as priorities for FY 26-27 and beyond? Item 1 Attachment C - Draft Council Interview Questions Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 7 Packet Pg. 11 of 12 CITY OF PALO ALTO CITY CLERK 2026 EVALUATION – COUNCIL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What do you see as the top 2-3 personal strengths and professional achievements of the City Clerk from the past year? 2. How did the City Clerk do overall in her achievements in the past year, and specifically in furthering Council priority goals as related to her position and her individual goals for FY25-26 (from last year’s evaluation)? 3. How does the City Clerk provide the elected officials with the support needed to govern effectively (availability, responsiveness, communication, etc.); are there specific opportunities or areas for her to grow? 4. Please share your perception of the City Clerk’s leadership and how it effectively meets the needs of the Council, her team, and community. Provide specific examples as possible. 5. Does the City Clerk have areas for development that should be addressed to help her in this role? 6. How confident are you of the City Clerk’s technical competencies (records management, Brown Act, etc.) 7. How well does the City Clerk anticipate issues and think strategically to address trends and long- term issues? Are there innovations you are looking for in the Clerk’s office? 8. Are there any additional comments or suggestions that you would like to add concerning the City Clerk’s performance over the past year? 9. What do you think are the top 2-3 issues the City Clerk should specifically focus on as priorities for FY 26-27 and beyond? Item 1 Attachment C - Draft Council Interview Questions Item 1: Staff Report Pg. 8 Packet Pg. 12 of 12