HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2603-6171CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Special Meeting
Monday, June 08, 2026
Council Chambers & Hybrid
5:30 PM
Agenda Item
C.Status Report from the Oversized Vehicles (OSV) Ad Hoc Committee; CEQA Status - Not a
Project.
City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: INFORMATION REPORTS
Lead Department: City Manager
Meeting Date: June 8, 2026
Report #:2603-6171
TITLE
Status Report from the Oversized Vehicles (OSV) Ad Hoc Committee; CEQA Status - Not a
Project.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council receive this informational report from staff with an
update on progress related to oversized vehicles and the work of the Oversized Vehicles (OSV)
Ad Hoc Committee. The Committee will verbally provide an update during City Council
comments at the June 8 meeting as well.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Phase I of the Oversized Vehicles work has been successful in reducing impacts, improving
compliance, and providing insight for Phase II which is focused on longer term solutions.
Implementation required significant staff overtime to address initial backlogs of ordinance
violations. Conditions improved over time as compliance increased and the demand for towing
due to noncompliance decreased.
“Point-in-time checks” by the Police Department1 showed an overall decline in OSVs across
monitored locations between January and May, though in some areas numbers remained
consistent. In terms of resources and staff effort involved, Public Works deployed existing
resources on overtime to support Phase I initiatives, including deep cleaning support, storm
drain flushing, tree pruning, and signage and striping work. The Office of Transportation also
supported in engineering support for signage.
The work from Phase I helped identify key issues to be addressed in Phase II, including the need
for consistent signage, management of OSV movement between zones, and continued
1 This is not related to the official Santa Clara County bi-annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count. Information about the
Santa Clara County PIT can be found on the County’s website: https://osh.santaclaracounty.gov/data-and-
reports/point-time-count. The Police Department point-in-time checks are a visual assessment of the number of
OSVs on Palo Alto streets as a snapshot in time.
attention to staffing and operational capacity. Between October 2025-March 2026, the
Homeless Outreach Team provided case management and delivered basic-needs services, while
also gathering feedback from OSV-dwelling residents about barriers to transitioning out of their
vehicles and into housing. That feedback led staff to explore options such as OSV buyback and
storage programs, though funding and placement challenges remain.
BACKGROUND
3 when City
Council approved a set of initial measures to address the growing numbers of oversized vehicles
and resulting community impacts, as well as the needs of OSV dwellers.
ANALYSIS
3 City Council, October 20, 2025, https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/city-manager/housing-amp-
homelessness/october-2025-city-council-oversized-vehicles-staff-report.pdf
From January to September 2025, there were 73 tows, of which 15 were OSVs. From October to
December 2025, there were a total of 50 tows, of which were 31 OSVs. From January to April
2025, there were a total of 94 tows, of which 46 were OSVs. This shows that since October
2025, the rate of towing has increased to address noncompliant vehicles. The Police
Department has paid $91,600 for OSV towing services.
OSVs, making it challenging to leave their OSV behind. With this feedback, city staff explored
the opportunities of creating an OSV buyback program and a storage program.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
community concerns, service impacts and emerging themes, and allows for responsive
coordination as the project moves forward. Staff have also met with local businesses and joined
calls with the Chamber of Commerce to hear and address concerns. Staff has also met with
individuals and groups who have requested a meeting to discuss this topic.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
APPROVED BY: