Palo Alto City Council
February 5, 2024

February 5, 2024 www.cityofpaloalto.org

COUNCIL PROCEDURES AND
PROTOCOLS HANDBOOK –
Policy and Services Referrals
Chantal Cotton Gaines, Deputy City Manager
Recent Discussions Overview
 December 2022: First full City Council discussion of Draft Revised Handbook  January 30, March 20, April 24: City Council action on Revised Handbook – includes referrals to Policy & Services (P&S) Committee
 April-November 2023: P&S Committee discussions of Handbook referrals  November 27, 2023: City Council deferred P&S referral recommendations item  December 18, 2023: City Council deferred P&S referral recommendations item  February 5, 2024: City Council review of any P&S recommendations on referrals  Q1 2024: Full City Council discussion of NEW suggested changes to the entire Handbook (not related to current referrals)

BACKGROUND
2 Recommendations Proposed on Following Slides
 Procedures Section 1.1: Annual Organization of City Council (Time Sensitive)  Procedures Section 5.1a(4): Video Participation for Public Comment  Procedures Section 8.2: Censure language was referred to committee for review  Protocols Section 2.2: Refrain from Lobbying Board and Commission Members  Protocols Section 2.8: The Role of Council Liaison to Boards or Commissions  Protocols Section 4.1: International Travel
No Recommendation Yet
 Protocols Section 4.1: Miscellaneous Expenditures. Council referral for the committee to discuss the establishment of appropriate parameters for Council discretionary expenditures and whether to allocate $2,000 annually from the Council contingency fund for each Council member to decide its purpose

LIST OF COUNCIL REFERRALS
3  Tonight: City Council action (if desired) on any of the P&S Referral Recommendations  February P&S Agenda: Discussion of Protocols Section 4.1: Miscellaneous Expenditures – Discretionary Expenditures
 Q1 2024: City Council discussion of NEW suggested changes to the entire Handbook (not related to current referrals)
4 RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION & NEXT STEPS

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
For Reference
12/18/2023 www.cityofpaloalto.org
Procedures Section 1.1: Annual Organization of City Council Committee discussed on May 9, 2023
Suggested City Council Discussion
 Option A: Pursue a ballot measure in 2024 (time sensitive) to either:

1. Extend the Mayoral term, or

2. Directly elect the Mayor
 Option B: Pursue no ballot measure in 2024 and instead add new criteria or considerations for Mayoral selection as a matter of policy that could be considered by Council each year (not time sensitive)
 Option C: Pursue no ballot measure in 2024 and no change in Section 1.1 6 SUMMARY OF P&S RECOMMENDATIONS –Council Organization
Procedures Section 5.1a(4): Video Participation for Public Comment City Council included this language in the adopted Handbook:

If found feasible by staff, members of the public may be given the opportunity to activate their personal video during their public comments.

Staff found this is possible and will require some staff training to implement.

Suggested City Council Discussion
 Staff requests confirmation of the previous City Council direction 7 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS –Video Participation
Procedures Section 8.2: Censure language was referred to committee for review Committee discussed on August 8 and October 10
The Committee recommends the proposed
language on Handbook pages 35-39
Suggested City Council Discussion
 Consider adoption of recommended
language
8 SUMMARY OF P&S RECOMMENDATIONS –Censure

Protocols Section 2.2: Refrain from Lobbying Board and Commission Members Protocols Section 2.8: The Role of Council Liaison to Boards or Commissions Committee discussed on June 13, 2023
Suggested City Council Discussion
 Consider adoption of
recommended language
on Handbook pages 45 and 46
9 SUMMARY OF P&S RECOMMENDATIONS –Boards & Commissions

Protocols Section 4: International Travel
Committee discussed on October 10, 2023
Suggested City Council Discussion
 Consider adoption of
recommended language
on Handbook page 48
including consideration of
increasing the annual Council
travel budget allocation to
$40,000 to include this travel
10 SUMMARY OF P&S RECOMMENDATIONS –International Travel

Chantal Cotton Gaines
Deputy City Manager
[email protected]