Town of Los Altos Hills
City Council Special Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 5:00 P.M.
Council Chambers, 26379 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, California,
Present: Mayor Rajiv Bhateja, Vice Mayor Bhateja George Tyson, Council Member Stanley Mok, Council Member Linda Swan, and Council Member Kavita Tankha
Absent: None
Staff: City Manager Cody Einfalt and City Clerk Arika Birdsong-Miller CALL TO ORDER (5:00 P.M.)
Mayor Bhateja called the meeting to order at 5:01 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Mayor Rajiv Bhateja, Vice Mayor George Tyson, Council Member Stanley Mok, Council Member Linda Swan, and Council Member Kavita Tankha were present.
1. AGENDA REVIEW
There were no changes to the agenda. The agenda was presented as posted.
2. PUBLIC COMMENT (Public Comment is Limited to Items which are the Subject of the Special Meeting)
1. Jill Grunewald, a Los Altos Hills resident, commented on the Sheriff’s Office annual statistics and expressed support for the services provided by the Sheriff’s Office. She noted the number of false alarm responses occurring within the Town and suggested the Council consider policies that may reduce unnecessary calls for service.
2. Anna Itoi, a Los Altos Hills resident, discussed public safety and crime prevention efforts following the removal of the Town's automated license plate reader program and expressed support for maintaining strong law enforcement services within the Town.
3. NEW BUSINESS
A. Presentation on the Status of Negotiations with the County of Santa Clara Office of the Sheriff Regarding the Expiring Agreement for Law Enforcement Services in Los Altos Hills (Staff: C. Einfalt)
City Manager Cody Einfalt presented a report regarding ongoing negotiations with the County of Santa Clara for law enforcement services. He provided background on the Town's current agreement, originally executed in 2014 and subsequently extended through June 30, 2026. He reviewed the County's proposed contract changes, including a full-cost recovery model, revisions to the overhead allocation methodology, removal of annual cost increase caps, and changes to the treatment of overhead costs.
Los Altos Hills Special City Council Meeting Minutes Page 2 Tuesday, June 9, 2026
City Manager Einfalt discussed concerns raised by the contract cities regarding the proposed agreement, including the methodology used to calculate overhead costs, the potential financial impacts to the contract cities, the absence of a cost cap, and questions regarding the appropriateness of certain overhead charges. He also summarized the collaborative negotiation efforts between Los Altos Hills, Cupertino, and Saratoga, including the formation of a joint negotiation team supported by legal, financial, and consulting advisors.
City Manager Einfalt reported that following a meeting with County representatives on May 26, 2026, the County agreed to a 12-week extension of the current agreement to allow the contract cities to conduct an independent assessment of the County's proposed overhead methodology. He explained that Vasquez & Company had been retained to review the proposed billing structure and evaluate whether the proposed charges appropriately allocate costs associated with contracted law enforcement services.
City Manager Einfalt reviewed current law enforcement service levels provided to the Town, historical service utilization trends, and projected costs under the proposed contract structure. He also presented a potential service-level adjustment that would reduce dedicated traffic enforcement hours and reallocate those hours to general law enforcement services while maintaining the same overall number of patrol hours.
Staff recommended approval of a second amendment extending the current law enforcement services agreement for twelve weeks while negotiations with the County continue.
Mayor Rajiv Bhateja presented a supplemental report regarding potential long-term public safety service models and alternatives for law enforcement services within the Town. He reviewed the projected costs associated with the proposed Sheriff’s Office contract, including anticipated increases in service costs and overhead charges, and discussed various law enforcement service delivery models utilized by neighboring jurisdictions.
Mayor Bhateja presented comparisons of service levels, staffing models, and costs among agencies including the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, local police departments, and sheriff-staffed police models. He also reviewed examples from neighboring communities, including Woodside, Portola Valley, Atherton, Danville, Stanford, and Monte Sereno.
Mayor Bhateja discussed several potential public safety strategies for Council consideration, including the implementation of a volunteer resident patrol program, increased visibility measures, evaluation of alternative staffing models, continued discussions with neighboring jurisdictions regarding regional partnerships, and the potential feasibility of a Joint Powers Authority or other long-term law enforcement service arrangements.
Mayor Bhateja concluded by recommending that the Town continue the ongoing audit of the County’s overhead methodology, approve the proposed contract extension while negotiations continue, explore volunteer patrol opportunities, and evaluate alternative public safety service models and regional partnerships for future consideration.
The City Council discussed: The methodology used by the County to calculate service costs, Staffing levels and response capabilities, Public safety priorities of the Town, Alternative service delivery models, The importance of coordinating negotiations with the other contract cities, Potential impacts associated with future residential development within the Town.
Los Altos Hills Special City Council Meeting Minutes Page 3 Tuesday, June 9, 2026
B. Resolution Approving Amendment Number 2 Authorizing a 12 Week Extension to the Current Law Enforcement Agreement with the County of Santa Clara Office of the Sheriff (Staff: C. Einfalt)
Public Comments
1. Jill Grunewald, a Los Altos Hills resident, inquired about future public safety service demands associated with upcoming housing developments within the Town. Staff responded that no discussions had occurred regarding separate security requirements and that future developments would receive law enforcement services in the same manner as other areas of the Town.
Council Member Swan made a motion to adopt a Resolution approving Amendment No. 2 to the Law Enforcement Services Agreement with the County of Santa Clara Office of the Sheriff, authorizing a thirteen-week extension of the current agreement through September 30, 2026. Vice Mayor Tyson seconded the motion.
The motion was amended to authorize the City Manager to review and incorporate relevant modifications resulting from negotiations conducted by the other participating contract cities, as appropriate. APPROVED, VOTE 5-0
MOTION PASSED 5-0
AYES: Bhateja, Tyson, Mok, Swan, Tankha
NOES: None
RECUSE: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
Mayor Bhateja adjourned to Closed Session at 6:19 P.M.
4. REPORT OUT OF CLOSED SESSION
There was no report from Closed Session was provided at the June 9, 2026, meeting. Any reportable action will be announced at a subsequent meeting as required by law.
5. ADJOURN
Mayor Bhateja adjourned the meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Arika Birdsong-Miller