AMENDMENT NO. 6 TO CONTRACT NO. C18171057
BETWEEN THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AND
AECOM TECHNICAL SERVICES, INC.
This Amendment No. 6 (this “Amendment”) to Contract No. C18171057 (the “Contract” as defined below) is entered into as of May 6, 2024, by and between the CITY OF PALO ALTO, a California chartered municipal corporation (“CITY”), and AECOM TECHINICAL SERVICES, INC. , a California corporation , located at 300 Lakeside Drive, Suite 400, Oakland, CA 94612 (“CONSULTANT”). CITY and CONSULTANT are referred to collectively as the “Parties” in this Amendment.
R E C I T A L S
A. The Contract (as defined below) was entered by and between the Parties hereto to provide program management, enhanced community engagement services, grade separation planning and alternatives analysis, and technical assistance on rail engineering and design. (“Project”) and desires to engage a consultant to provide Services in connection with the Project (“Services”), as detailed therein.
B. The Parties now wish to amend the Contract in order to (1) increase the total compensation by $Two Hundred Ninety-Seven Thousand Two Hundred Six Dollars ($297,206.00) from Three Million Five Hundred Ninety -Six Thousand Eight Hundred Twenty -Eight Dollars ($3,596,828.00) to Three Million Eight Hundred Ninety -Four Thousand Thirty-Four Dollars ($3,894,034.00) for Services and Additional services not included in the previous scope of work , (2) update Exhibit C-5 Hourly Schedule of Rates; (3)extend the term through April 30, 2025, as detailed herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants, terms, conditions, and provisions of this Amendment, the Parties agree:
SECTION 1. Definitions. The following definitions shall apply to this Amendment:
a. Contract. The term “Contract” shall mean Contract N o. C18171057 between CONSULTANT and CITY, dated April 23, 2018.
Amendment No. 1, dated June 24, 2019
Amendment No. 2, dated June 23, 2020
Amendment No. 3, dated April 23, 2021
Amendment No. 4, dated May 16, 2022
Amendment No. 5, dated April 23, 2024
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b. Other Terms. Capitalized terms used and not defined in this Amendment shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Contract.
SECTION 2. Section 2. “TERM” of the Contract is hereby amended to read as follows:
“SECTION 2. TERM. The term of this Agreement shall be from the date of its full execution through April 30, 2025, unless terminated earlier pursuant to Section 19 of this Agreement.
SECTION 3. Section 4. “NOT TO EXCEED COMPENSATION” of the Contract is hereby amended to read as follows:
“SECTION 4. NOT TO EXCEED COMPENSATION. The compensation to be paid to CONSULTANT for performance of the Services described in Exhibit “A” as amended by Exhibits “A-1”, “A-2” ,“A-3”, “A-4”, and “A-5 (referred to collectively as Exhibit “A” or the “Basic Services”), and reimbursable expenses, shall not exceed Three Million Five Hundred Twenty-Nine Thousand and Nine Hundred Eight Dollars ($3,529,908.00). CONSULTANT agrees to complete all Basic Services, including reimbursable expenses, within this amount. In the event Additional Services are authorized, the total compensation for Basic Services, Additional Services, and reimbursable expenses shall not exceed Three Million Eight Hundred Ninety-Four Thousand and Thirty-Four Dollars ($3,894,034.00). The applicable rates and schedule of payment are set out at Exhibit “C- 5”, entitled “HOURLY RATE SCHEDULE,” which is attached to and made a part of this Agreement. Any work performed or expenses incurred for which payment would result in a total exceeding the maximum amount of compensation set forth herein shall be at no cost to the CITY. Additional Services, if any, shall be authorized in accordance with and subject to the provisions of Exhibit “C”. CONSULTANT shall not receive any compensation for Additional Services performed without the prior written authorization of CITY. Additional Services shall mean any work that is determined by CITY to be necessary for the proper completion of the Project, but which is not included within the Scope of Services described at Exhibit “A”.”
SECTION 4. Exhibit “A-5” to this Amendment (attached hereto and incorporated herein) shall amend, but not replace, Exhibit “A” attached to the original Contract, Exhibit “A-1” attached to Amendment No. 1, Exhibit “A-2” attached to Amendment No. 2, Exhibit “A-3” attached to Amendment 3, and Exhibit “A-4” attached to Amendment 4 to the Contract.
References to “Exhibit A” in the Contract shall mean Exhibits “A”, “A-1”, “A-2”, “A-3”, “A-4”, and “A-5” read together. To the extent the provisions of Exhibit “A-5” directly conflict with original Exhibit “A”, Exhibit “A-1”, or Exhibit “A-2”, or Exhibit “A-3”, or Exhibit “A-4” the provisions of Exhibit “A-5” will control.
SECTION 5. The following exhibits to the Contract are hereby amended or added to read as set forth in the attachments to this Amendment, which are incorporated in full by this reference:
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a. Exhibit “A-5” entitled “SCOPE OF SERVICES AMENDMENT NO. 6”, ADDED b. Exhibit “B ” entitled “SCHEDULE OF PERFORMANCE , A MENDMENT NO. 6 ”,
AMENDED, REPLACES PREVIOUS
c. Exhibit “B-2” entitled “RAILROAD GRADE SEPARATION PROGRAM , AMENDMENT NO. 6”, ADDED
d. Exhibit “C” entitled “COMPENSATION , AMENDMENT NO. 6 ”, AMENDED,
REPLACES PREVIOUS
e. Exhibit “C-5” entitled “HOURLY RATE SCHEDULE AMENDMENT NO. 6”, AMENDED,
REPLACES PREVIOUS
SECTION 6. Legal Effect. Except as modified by this Amendment, all other provisions of the Contract, including any exhibits thereto, shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 7. Incorporation of Recitals . The recitals set forth above are terms of this Amendment and are fully incorporated herein by this reference.
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SIGNATURES OF THE PARTIES
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have by their duly authorized representatives executed this Amendment effective as of the date first above written.
CITY OF PALO ALTO
____________________________
City Manager
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
____________________________
City Attorney or designee
CONSULTANT:
AECOM TECHINICAL SERVICES, INC.
By:_____________________________
Name:____Marty Czarnecki_________
Title: Senior Vice President/Authorized
Signatory
By:______________________________
Name:____Allison Hall______________
Title:____CFO Americas_____________
Attachments:
Exhibit “A-5” entitled “SCOPE OF SERVICES AMENDMENT NO. 6”, ADDED Exhibit “B” entitled “SCHEDULE OF PERFORMANCE, AMENDMENT NO. 6”, AMENDED, REPLACES
PREVIOUS
Exhibit “B-2” entitled “RAILROAD GRADE SEPARATION PROGRAM, AMENDMENT NO. 6”, ADDED Exhibit “C” entitled “COMPENSATION, AMENDMENT NO. 6”, AMENDED, REPLACES PREVIOUS Exhibit “C -5” entitled “HOURLY RATE SCHEDULE AMENDMENT NO. 6”, AMENDED, REPLACES
PREVIOUS
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EXHIBIT A-5
SCOPE OF SERVICES, AMENDMENT NO. 6
(ADDED)
This Exhibit “A-5” Additional Scope of Services amends Exhibit “A” Scope of Services, as previously amended by Exhibit “A-1”, Exhibit “A-2”, Exhibit “A-3”and Exhibit “A-4” should be read together therewith. To the extent the provisions of Exhibit “A-5” directly conflict with original Exhibit “A”, Exhibit “A-1”, or Exhibit “A-2”, or Exhibit “A-3” or Exhibit “A-4” the provisions of Exhibit “A-5” will control.
AMENDMENT NO. 6:
CONSULTANT will provide services in the project development for conducting additional studies, outreach, and support to City staff at meetings with Rail Committee and the City Council not included in the original scope of work Exhibit A, amended by Exhibit “A-1”, Exhibit “A-2”, Exhibit “A-3”, Exhibit “A- 4”, and Exhibit “A-5”.
This Exhibit “A‐5” describes the services that are in addition to Exhibit “A”, Exhibit “A‐1”, Exhibit “A‐2”, Exhibit “A‐3” and Exhibit “A-4”.
SCOPE OF WORK
CONSULTANT will continue to manage the Project, which will include required technical analyses of alternatives and a community and stakeholder engagement process to identify and develop locally‐ preferred alternatives for modifications to the existing at‐grade crossings in Palo Alto at Churchill Avenue, Meadow Drive, and Charleston Road.
CONSULTANT will coordinate and manage the project in conjunction with CITY’s staff.
The tasks anticipated in this supplemental scope of services with descriptions of supplemental services for each task and associated deliverables are included in this amendment to address the Caltrain comments and to update project materials to reflect updates.
Task 1. Project Management
1.1 Project Management and Administration
For the additional 12 months to the project (April 2024‐April 2025), the CONSULTANT will continue to provide project management for each task for the duration of the Project.
Management activities will consist of administration, coordination, and quality control, as follows:
a. Prepare a scope, budget, and updated project schedule. b. Continue to supervise, coordinate, and monitor activities and product DocuSign Envelope ID: 7F20077D-7549-4095-9872-082B10502BF2 Item 14
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development for conformance with the scope of services and CITY standards. c. Prepare twelve (12) additional monthly invoices and progress reports.
1.2 Performance and Quality Monitoring
CONSULTANT will continue to use a project specific Quality Assurance Plan for technical reviews and detailed checking for work products including the work produced by CONSULTANT’s subconsultants. The CONSULTANT will continue to make sure that all work performed on the project is checked and that all deliverables undergo a quality review before submittal to the CITY.
1.3 Monthly Invoicing, Progress Reports and Schedule
CONSULTANT will prepare and update the project schedule based on the supplemental work and it will be submitted to CITY staff for review and approval.
Task 1 Supplemental Deliverables:
a. Updated baseline project schedule
b. Monthly update of progress against baseline schedule c. Twelve (12) additional monthly invoices with progress reports Task 4. Community Engagement
4.1 Supplemental Meetings
CONSULTANT will prepare for and facilitate in-person community outreach meetings. AECOM will print hard copy exhibits to be displayed on easels at the meetings.
CONSULTANT will prepare for and attend in-person, Rail Committee and City Council meetings.
CONSULTANT will update the virtual reality (VR) room (originally developed in 2020) to display the new exhibits, fact sheets, and evaluation matrix. The original site will be archived for the public to access.
Assumptions:
• One community meeting will be held (one for Churchill, one for Meadow-Charleston. • AECOM will attend three (3) Rail Committee meetings
• AECOM will attend one (1) City Council meeting
• Updates to the 3D animations on the VR site are not required.
Task 4 Deliverables
a. Stakeholder meeting summaries
b. Presentation materials for two Rail Committee meeting and one City Council meeting
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Task 6. Identify Recommended Alternatives
6.6 Update Project Plans, Sections, and Profiles to address Caltrain comments In the fall of 2023, Caltrain reviewed the exhibits of the alternatives previously developed by CONSULTANT and the City. Caltrain provided comments based on their current design criteria and rail corridor use policy. In summary, the following input was provided:
o Vertical clearance of the underpass structures shall be 16’-6” across the entire width of Caltrain’s right of way. Caltrain’s previous standard vertical clearance was 15’-6”. o The alternatives shall take Caltrain’s 4-track alignment into consideration. Caltrain plans a four (4) track alignment from just south of Churchill Avenue to just north of Meadow Drive. The track alignment may vary depending on the alternative.
o Except for the Viaduct and Trench alternatives, Caltrain requires that all structures be designed based on the typical section noted in the figure below to accommodate a maintenance vehicle. o Caltrain reserves the right to use their entire right of way width. Some exceptions can be made on a case by case basis.
o The retaining walls for the Meadow-Charleson Hybrid shall be placed to allow for four tracks to be constructed at any location without having to reconstruct the walls. o The centerline of the nearest shoofly track shall be 25 feet from the face of a proposed retaining wall. The previous standard spacing was 10 feet.
6.6.1 Resolve Comments and Update Design Criteria
CONSULTANT will review Caltrain’s comments and meet with the City and the Caltrain team to discuss the comments and come to a consensus on how the design of the alternatives shall be modified.
CONSULTANT will update the project’s design criteria document accordingly.
Assumptions:
• Three (3) meetings with the City and Caltrain.
• Caltrain will provide a CAD file of the 4-track alignment. • Roadway design criteria will remain as previously determined.
6.6.2 Update of the Churchill Partial Underpass Alternative To address Caltrain’s comments, CONSULTANT will update the exhibits portraying the plan view geometry (roadway striping, new pavement limits, and bridge limits), roadway profiles, typical sections, and property impacts (if required) for the Churchill Avenue Partial Underpass Alternative.
CONSULTANT will revisit the shoofly alignment based on the new, required dimensions, and update the quantities and unit prices based on current (2024) cost data.
CONSULTANT will update the Evaluation Matrix and the Fact Sheet accordingly.
Assumptions:
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• The number of lanes required on Alma Street and Churchill Avenue will remain as previously determined… two at-grade, northbound lanes, for example. A more detailed traffic analysis will be performed during the environmental phase to determine if Alma Street can be reduced to one lane in the northbound direction. • Additional exhibits are not required.
• Updates to the closure alternatives at Churchill Avenue (Options 1 and 2) are not required. • Updates to the Kellogg Avenue Ped/Bike tunnel and ramps are not required. • Development of the Seale Avenue Ped/Bike tunnel layout is not required. • Two rounds of comments from the City and Caltrain after the revised exhibits are presented.
6.6.3 Update of the Meadow-Charleston (M-C) Hybrid Alternative To address Caltrain’s comments, CONSULTANT will update the exhibits portraying the plan view geometry (roadway striping, new pavement limits, and bridge limits), roadway profiles, typical sections, property impacts (if required), and the rail profile for the M-C Hybrid Alternative.
CONSULTANT will revisit the shoofly alignment based on the new, required dimensions, and update the quantities and unit prices based on current (2024) cost data.
CONSULTANT will update the Evaluation Matrix and the Fact Sheet accordingly.
Assumptions:
• The number of lanes required on Alma Street, Meadow Drive, and Charleston Road will remain as previously determined.
• Additional exhibits are not required.
• Development of a separate ped/bike undercrossing is not required. • Two rounds of comments from the City and Caltrain after the revised exhibits are presented.
6.6.4 Update of the Meadow-Charleston (M-C) Viaduct Alternative To address Caltrain’s comments, CONSULTANT will update the exhibits portraying the plan view geometry (track alignment, viaduct and retaining wall limits), typical sections, property impacts (if required), and the rail profile for the M-C Viaduct Alternative.
CONSULTANT will revisit the shoofly alignment based on the new, required dimensions, and update the quantities and unit prices based on current (2024) cost data.
CONSULTANT will update the Evaluation Matrix and the Fact Sheet accordingly.
Assumptions:
• The number of lanes required on Alma Street, Meadow Drive, and Charleston Road will remain as previously determined.
• Additional exhibits are not required.
• Two rounds of comments from the City and Caltrain after the revised exhibits are presented.
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6.6.5 Update of the Meadow-Charleston (M-C) Trench Alternative To address Caltrain’s comments, CONSULTANT will update the exhibits portraying the plan view geometry (track alignment, retaining wall limits), typical sections, property impacts (if required) for the M-C Trench Alternative.
CONSULTANT will revisit the shoofly alignment based on the new, required dimensions, and update the quantities and unit prices based on current (2024) cost data.
CONSULTANT will update the Evaluation Matrix and the Fact Sheet accordingly.
Assumptions:
• The number of lanes required on Alma Street, Meadow Drive, and Charleston Road will remain as previously determined.
• An update to the rail profile is not required.
• Additional exhibits are not required.
• Two rounds of comments from the City and Caltrain after the revised exhibits are presented.
6.6.6 Update of the Meadow-Charleston (M-C) Underpass Alternative To address Caltrain’s comments, CONSULTANT will update the exhibits portraying the plan view geometry (roadway striping, new pavement limits, and bridge limits), roadway profiles, typical sections, and property impacts (if required) for the M-C Underpass Alternative.
CONSULTANT will revisit the shoofly alignment based on the new, required dimensions, and update the quantities and unit prices based on current (2024) cost data.
CONSULTANT will update the Evaluation Matrix and the Fact Sheet accordingly.
Assumptions:
• The number of lanes required on Alma Street, Meadow Drive, and Charleston Road will remain as previously determined.
• Additional exhibits are not required.
• Two rounds of comments from the City and Caltrain after the revised exhibits are presented.
Task 6 Deliverables
a. Updated plans, exhibits and Sections for up to two underpass alternatives, trench, hybrid, and viaduct (Meadow and Charleston) and one partial underpass alternative (Churchill) – Draft and Final
b. Final Design Criteria
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c. Presentation materials for Rail Committee meetings and City Council meetings d. Public Engagement outreach materials and Virtual Townhall Update DocuSign Envelope ID: 7F20077D-7549-4095-9872-082B10502BF2 Item 14
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EXHIBIT “B”
SCHEDULE OF PERFORMANCE, AMENDMENT NO.6
(AMENDED, REPLACES PREVIOUS)
CONSULTANT shall perform the Services so as to complete each task within the number of days/weeks specified on Attachment “B” Schedule of Performance. Attachment “B” reflects the currently anticipated schedule.’ CONSULTANT will regularly update the schedule in consultation with CITY’s Project Manager. The time to complete each task may be increased or decreased by mutual written agreement of the project managers for CONSULTANT and CITY so long as all work is completed within the term of the Agreement. Following are the tentative timelines for the task covered in the amendment # 6
• Update to the VR room: April 15, 2024
• City Council Study Session: April 29, 2024
• Community Outreach Meeting: May 22, 2024
• Complete update to Alternatives: June 30, 2024
• Complete the scope of work for this agreement by Dec 31, 2024
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EXHIBIT “B-2”
RAILROAD GRADE SEPARATION PROGRAM, AMENDMENT NO.6
(ADDED)
Task No. Task Detail Estimated Costs
1.0 Project Management $12,000
4.1 Additional Public Engagement $77,818
6.6 Resolve Caltrain Comments, Update
Design Criteria, and Update Project
materials for Churchill Underpass,
Meadow Charleston Hybrid, Viaduct,
Trench and Underpass Alternatives
$207,388
$297,206
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EXHIBIT “C”
COMPENSATION, AMENDMENT NO.6
(AMENDED, REPLACES PREVIOUS)
CITY agrees to compensate CONSULTANT for professional services performed in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, and as set forth in the budget schedule below. Compensation shall be calculated based on the hourly rate schedule attached as Exhibit “C-1” up to the not to exceed budget amount for each task set forth below.
CONSULTANT shall perform the tasks and categories of work as outlined and budgeted below. CITY’s Project Manager may approve in writing the transfer of budget amounts between any of the tasks or categories listed below provided the total compensation for Basic Services, including reimbursable expenses, and the total compensation for Additional Services do not exceed the amounts set forth in Section 4 of this Agreement.
TASK ORIGINAL
CONTRACT
NOT TO
EXCEED
AMOUNT
NOT TO
EXCEED
AMOUNT
ADDED OR
(SUBTRACTED
) BY
AMENDMENT
NO 1
NOT TO
EXCEED
AMOUNT
ADDED BY
AMENDMENT
NO 2
NOT TO
EXCEED
AMOUNT
ADDED BY
AMENDMEN
T NO 3
NOT TO
EXCEED
AMOUNT
ADDED BY
AMENDME
NT NO. 4
NOT TO
EXCEED
AMOUNT
ADDED BY
AMENDME
NT NO. 6
Task 1 Project Management $225,184.00 $136,825 $48,827 $0 $57,982 $12,000
Task 2 Data Collection &
Review
$121,117.20 $12,360 $0 $0 $0 $0
Task 3 Convene Technical
Advisory
$51,873.60 ($39,806) $0 $0 $0 $0
Committee Meetings
Task 4 Community
Engagement
$285,885.60 $470,050 $79,626 $0 $33,939 $77,818
Task 5 Identify Alternative
Analysis
$177,420.00 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Task 6 Identify
Recommended
Alternatives
$312,523.20 $387,406 $178,419 $0 $526,122 $207,388
Task 7 Assist with CAHSR
Environmental
$32,424.00 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Analysis Phase
Task 8 Financing Plan $28,032.00 $59,290 $0 $0 $0 $0
Reimbursables and
Other Direct Costs
$44,200.00 $0 $3,000 $0 $0 $0
Additional Services 0 $180,000 $0 $80,000 $104,126
TOTAL CONTRACT
AMOUNT
$1,278,660.0 $1,206,126 $309,872 $80,000 $722,120 $297,206
MAXIMUM TOTAL
COMPENSATION
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TOTAL BASIC SERVICES (AMENDMENT NO 6) $ 297,206.00
TOTAL BASIC SERVICES (AMENDMENT NO. 4) $ 618,044.00
TOTAL BASIC SERVICES (AMENDMENT NO. 2) $ 306,872.00
TOTAL BASIC SERVICES (AMENDMENT NO. 1) $1,026,126.00
TOTAL BASIC SERVICES (ORIGINAL CONTRACT)
TOTAL BASIC SERVICES
(ORIGNAL & AMENDMENTS)
$1,234,460.00
$3,482,708.00
Reimbursable Expenses $ 47,200.00
Additional Services (Amendment No.1) $ 180,000.00
Additional Services (Amendment No.3) $ 80,000.00
Additional Services (Amendment No.4) $104,126.00
TOTAL Additional Services $ 364,126.00
Maximum BASIC & ADDITIO NAL SERVICES (AMENDMENT 1-6) Compensation $ 3,894,034.00
REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES
The administrative, overhead, secretarial time or secretarial overtime, word processing, photocopying, in-house printing, insurance and other ordinary business expenses are included within the scope of payment for services and are not reimbursable expenses.
CITY shall reimburse CONSULTANT for the following reimbursable expenses at cost.
Expenses for which CONSULTANT shall be reimbursed are:
A. Travel outside the San Francisco Bay area, including transportation and meals, will be reimbursed at actual cost subject to the City of Palo Alto’s policy for reimbursement of travel and meal expenses for City of Palo Alto employees.
B. Long distance telephone service charges, cellular phone service charges, facsimile transmission and postage charges are reimbursable at actual cost.
All requests for payment of expenses shall be accompanied by appropriate backup information. Any expense anticipated to be more than $2,500.00 shall be approved in advance by the CITY’s project manager.
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EXHIBIT “C-5”
HOURLY RATE SCHEDULE, AMENDMENT NO. 6,
(AMENDED, REPLACES PREVIOUS)
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AECOM/URS 2022 RATE SCHEDULE
The services under this Agreement will be compensated in accordance with the following consultant rate schedule and adjusted annually
Name/Position/Title Fully-Burdened Hourly
Rates**
Principal Professional/Project Director $296 - $429
Senior Project Manager $236 - $374
Project Manager $213 - $305
Lead Project Professional/Engineer $223 - $412
Senior Project Professional/Engineer $170 - $247
Sr. Designer/Lab, Field, or CADD Supervisor $149 - $196 Sr. Technician* $131 - $196
Sr. CADD Technician/Sr. Illustrator/Designer* $131 - $191 Project Professional/Engineer $131 - $224
Project Administrator/Controller $121 - $191
Staff Professional/Engineer $109 - $138
Junior Professional/Engineer $65 - $112
Word Processor/Project Assistant/Editor* $73 - $153
Technician* $65 - $165
CADD Technician/Illustrator* $73 - $135
Clerk/Administrator/Intern* $38 - $122
* Overtime premium charged at cost where required by law for non-exempt employees ** Bill rates are computed as actual pay rate at time of service plus current FAR multiplier plus 10% fee (raw labor + 130.70% for FY 2020 plus 10% fee = 253.77%) ** Salaries are adjusted each October 1, but individual merit or promotional increases may occur at any time.
Reimbursable Items to be
Billed
Subcontracted Services Cost plus 5%
In-house printing (per page) Color $1.00, B/W $.10, no
markup
Vehicles $90/day, $45/½ day, no markup
Personal vehicles (mileage) Current IRS rate, no markup Other miscellaneous Expenses At cost
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City of Palo Alto
Form Vers.: Aug. 5, 2019
DocuSign Envelope ID: 7F20077D-7549-4095-9872-082B10502BF2 Item 14
Attachment A - AECOM,
Contract Amendment No.
6 Item 14: Staff Report
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City of Palo Alto
Form Vers.: Aug. 5, 2019
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Attachment A - AECOM,
Contract Amendment No.
6 Item 14: Staff Report
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City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: ACTION ITEMS
Lead Department: Planning and Development Services
Meeting Date: May 6, 2024
Report #:2402-2668
TITLE
PUBLIC HEARING / QUASI-JUDICIAL. 800 San Antonio Road [23PLN-00010]: Recommendation on Applicant’s Request for a Rezone from Service Commercial to Planned Community/Planned Home Zoning (PC/PHZ). The Project Includes Construction of 75 Residential Condominium Ownership Units Including 15 Below-Market Rate Units (20% of the Units) in a Five Story Building with Two Levels of Subterranean Parking. A Subdivision Map will be Required. An Addendum to the Previously Certified Environmental Impact Report for the Housing Incentive Program Expansion and 788 San Antonio Mixed Use Project (SCH # 2019090070) was Prepared.
Zoning District: CS (Commercial Service).
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council take the following actions:
1. Consider the Addendum to the previously adopted Environmental Impact Report (Attachment F)
2. Adopt an Ordinance rezoning the subject site from Service Commercial to Planned Community/Planned Home Zoning (Attachment B) as recommended by the Planning & Transportation Commission
3. Adopt the Record of Land Use Action approving the Architectural Review, based on findings and subject to conditions of approval as recommended by the Architectural Review Board (Attachment C)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The applicant requests approval to rezone two Commercial Service (CS) zoned parcels located at 800 and 808/814 San Antonio Road from Service Commercial (CS) to “Planned Home Zone” (PHZ) in accordance with Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) Chapter 18.38 (Planned Community Zoning).
The parcels would be merged and subdivided for condominium purposes under a separate subdivision map application, and the resulting parcel would be redeveloped with a five-story, 75- unit for-sale, residential building. Fifteen of the units (20% of total units) would be provided as Item 15
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below-market rate units, including six units provided at a rate affordable to very-low income, five at a rate affordable to low income, and four at a rate affordable to moderate income. Staff has compared the proposed project to the CS development standards and concluded the project includes requests for increases in the maximum floor area, lot coverage, and height.
The ARB recommended approval of the project on March 7, 2024, and PTC recommended approval of the project on April 10, 2024.
BACKGROUND
Requested Entitlements, Findings and Purview
The following discretionary applications are being requested and subject to Council purview:
•Planned Community (PC/PHZ): The process for evaluating this type of application is set forth in PAMC 18.38. Planned Community is intended to accommodate all types of developments, including combinations of uses appropriately requiring flexibility under controlled conditions not otherwise attainable under other districts. The planned community district is particularly intended for unified, comprehensively planned developments that are of substantial public benefit and which conform with and enhance the policies and programs of the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan. The application requires initial review by the Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC), followed by review by the Architectural Review Board (ARB). Upon recommendation from the ARB, the draft ordinance for the project is presented along with the development plan to the Planning and Transportation Commission for recommendation to the City Council for final action.
•On February 3, 2020, Council unanimously endorsed using Planned Housing Zoning (PHZ) for housing and mixed-use housing projects to help spur housing production. In exchange for deviation from certain standards as allowed under the rezoning, if approved by Council, the project must include at least 20% of the housing units as deed restricted for lower income households. The full Council staff report on this topic is viewable here: https://bit.ly/PHZ-CouncilReport
Prior City Reviews & Action
City Council: Prescreening August 15, 2022
Staff report: https://bit.ly/3qxtgnO Minutes: https://bit.ly/45OpNBj PTC: June 14, 2023
Staff report: https://bit.ly/442daCe Minutes: https://bit.ly/4cYTrrb April 10, 2024
Staff report: https://bit.ly/4aQC0aE Video: https://bit.ly/49WZda2 HRB: None
ARB: August 17, 2023
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Staff report: https://bit.ly/4d0VUBk Minutes: https://bit.ly/4d0u6x6 March 7, 2024
Staff report: https://bit.ly/4ayS9BA Video: https://bit.ly/49JkUu9
April 4, 2024 (Ad Hoc)
Staff report: https://bit.ly/3Q5PYNE
This project initially had a Council Prescreening on August 15, 2022. After the project was formally submitted on January 19, 2023, and reviewed by City staff, it was presented to the PTC on 6/14/23. The PTC moved the project forward to the ARB. The ARB reviewed the project on 8/17/23 and provided comments. The applicant revised the plans and after additional staff review, the project returned to the ARB on 3/7/24.
As part of the PC review process, Architectural Review (AR, process is set forth in PAMC
18.77.070) is ‘bundled’ with the development plan associated with the PC/PHZ Ordinance for Council action on the project. The ARB unanimously recommended approval of the PC/PHZ with seven items to be addressed in an Ad Hoc subcommittee. The plans were revised and reviewed by the Ad Hoc on 4/4/24, addressing all but two of the items: 1) Consideration of alternatives for how refuse bins are brought from the below-grade collection room to the staging area (does not affect pick up of refuse), and 2) Ensuring viability of landscaping planting where the planting is above portions of the below-grade parking garage. Staff has incorporated these outstanding items as conditions of approval #4d and #4e.
The PTC unanimously recommended approval of the PC/PHZ on April 10, 2024. The PTC commended the project for providing substantially sized units and appreciated the quality of the below market rate units as helpful to families. The Motion for PC/PHZ approval included revising the “mix” of BMR units to count one fewer 2-bedroom moderate income unit in order to count one additional 3-bedroom moderate income unit. This distributes the BMR units more proportionally by the building’s range of unit sizes. The Motion also included correction of various typos in the Draft Ordinance and Record of Land Use attachments, which have been addressed and incorporated as appropriate in this report’s attachments.
ANALYSIS
Neighborhood Setting and Character
The proposed project site is located on the east side of San Antonio Road between Leghorn Road and East Charleston Road. The surrounding uses are mostly one- to two-story buildings with commercial/personal services, office use, and similar uses. The site is adjacent to an approved mixed use, 4-story building at 788 San Antonio which is currently in the building permit process.
Council approved application of the Housing Incentive Program (HIP) to a portion of San Antonio Road between Middlefield Road and E. Charleston Road, including the subject property. The Item 15
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approved ordinance allowed for higher density residential uses along a portion of the San Antonio Road corridor and is anticipated to change the overall character of the neighborhood in this area from low-density commercial uses to high-density residential uses over time. The environmental analysis for the approved ordinance evaluated a total increase of up to 818 new units within this area. This is the second formal application received within the area evaluated as part of the HIP expansion. There is also a proposed Architectural Review project utilizing the HIP proposed at 824 San Antonio. Additionally, the City is preparing to release a request for proposals to develop an Area Plan for the San Antonio Road Corridor, anticipated to be a 18-24 month effort once it begins later this year.
Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan, Area Plans and Guidelines1 The Comprehensive Plan includes Goals, Policies, and Programs that guide the physical form of the City. The Comprehensive Plan provides the basis for the City’s development regulations and is used by staff to regulate building and development and make recommendations on projects.
Further, ARB Finding #1 requires that the design be consistent and compatible with applicable elements of the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan. This is further discussed in Attachment C.
The Comprehensive Plan land use designation for the project site is Service Commercial (CS). The Service Commercial Designation is described in the Comprehensive Plan as: “Facilities providing citywide and regional services and relying on customers arriving by car. These uses do not necessarily benefit from being in high volume pedestrian areas such as shopping centers or Downtown. In some locations, residential and mixed-use projects may be appropriate in this land use category. Examples of Service Commercial areas include San Antonio Road, El Camino Real, and Embarcadero Road northeast of the Bayshore Freeway. Non-residential FARs will range up to
0.4. Consistent with the Comprehensive Plan’s encouragement of housing near transit centers, higher-density, multi-family housing may be allowed in specific locations.” The project includes high density housing along San Antonio Road, consistent with this land use designation. Additionally, one of the parcels (APN 147-03-043 at 808 San Antonio Road) was included in the 2017-2023 Housing Element Sites Inventory, with an expected capacity of seven units. The proposed project merges parcels to allow for additional capacity. The proposed 75 units exceed the Housing Inventory expectations. The project supports Comprehensive Plan policies to provide affordable housing, infill development, and to promote high-quality design.
Zoning Compliance
Staff performed a detailed review of the proposed project’s consistency with applicable zoning standards. For a PHZ project, the zoning development standards are customized for the building, and therefore this project will be in compliance with zoning through the rezoning process.
However, as detailed in the Zoning Comparison Table (Attachment D), there are several aspects of the project that exceed the CS zoning base district development standards, including:
•Building height
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•Maximum floor area
•Maximum lot coverage
•Minimum commercial floor area
Building Size
The project's floor area ratio (FAR) is 3.0:1 where 1:1 is the standard allowable FAR for mixed use buildings, and 2:1 is the standard for HIP projects. Proposed lot coverage is 60% where 50% is standard, and 60’8” height where 50 feet in height is the standard. In general, the additional building volume is necessary to accommodate units with more bedrooms. In the Housing Incentive Program EIR (see Environmental Review section below), it was estimated this site could accommodate approximately 94 units. By providing 75 large units on the same property, including 52 two-bedroom units and 16 three-bedroom units, this project would be able to better serve families. The height increase, equivalent to one story, would not be substantially out of character for the San Antonio Road corridor. Next door, the 788 San Antonio project is approved to be built at 50 ft in height. In the surrounding blocks, the two Marriott hotels are also 50 ft, and the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life is approximately 60 ft.
Minimum Commercial Space
The project proposes 1,078 sf of commercial space, where the standard minimum requirement is 1,500 sf. This is an improvement to the initial submittal, which included no commercial space. The addition of the commercial space will help provide services to the residents of this building, as well as the adjacent buildings planned in the San Antonio Road Housing Incentive Program corridor. No tenant is identified at this time, and the PHZ Ordinance is drafted to allow for a range of pedestrian-oriented commercial uses.
Multi-Modal Access & Parking
The project includes the full required parking spaces for the 75 residential units. 148 parking spaces are proposed, where 143 are required. 86 of these spaces are provided in 12 independent stacker systems. The below grade garage protrudes approximately 7 feet into the special setback for a portion of the façade, in a manner that is not anticipated to affect future use of the special setback. There is a condition of approval to require ongoing maintenance of the parking stackers.
Per PAMC 18.52.040, up to 1,500 sf of ground floor retail uses shall not be counted toward the vehicle parking requirement.
Bike parking is provided onsite, in the ground floor bike room, which has access directly from the street as well as from the main lobby. There are also eight (8) short-term bike racks in front of the building. A possible bike pathway across this property was discussed extensively, however, the Office of Transportation is not currently prepared to move forward with a bikeway at this time.
Landscaping in the front setback is proposed with future bike access in mind.
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Parkland Dedication
This project includes more than 50 condominium units; therefore, the Parkland Dedication requirement applies. The applicant requests an exemption to the land dedication, and instead proposes to pay in-lieu fees estimated at over $4.08 million. Staff from Planning & Development Services and Community Services Departments are supportive of this request. For 75 units, the dedication requirement would be 27,450 sf, or 0.63 acres. The project site is 0.88 acres, making on-site dedication unrealistic. Staff was unable to identify an appropriate off-site location, and prefers a minimum size of two acres for new parks.
Consistency with Application Findings
This project is required to meet the Architectural Review Findings, and the Public Benefit requirements of a PC. The Architectural Review Findings are incorporated into the Draft Record of Land Use Action (Attachment C). The ARB found at the March 7 meeting that the project meets the Findings. This project provides a number of public benefits, as required by a PC project. This includes housing and affordable units per Council direction on PHZs, the commercial space, and planning for future bike infrastructure.
Unit Affordability
The applicant proposes to provide six Very-Low Income, five Low Income, and four Moderate Income units; 20% of the total 75 units. The PHZ process offers developers several options to provide affordable units as the “public benefit” of a PC project, as described in the September 21, 2020 Council Staff Report 1. Option #2 provides a weighted calculation to incentivize developers to provide very-low and low income units, rather than the minimum moderate units required.
Table 1 below calculates weighted values for the BMR units provided, equivalent to approximate 26%. This is in excess of the minimum 20% required for a PHZ project.
800 San Antonio Below Market Rate Unit Calculation
Income Level
Area Median
Income
Weighted
Value
Number of
Units
% of Actual
Units Weighted %
Very-low
Income 31-50% 1.9 6 8.0% 15%
Low Income 51-80% 1.2 5 6.7% 8%Below
Market Rate
Units
Moderate
Income 81-120% 0.6 4 5.3% 3%
Typical Units
Above
Moderate &
Market Rate 121% + 0 60
Total 75 20.0% 26.4%
1 September 21, 2020 Council Staff Report - https://bit.ly/PHZ-CouncilReport Item 15
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At the PTC meeting, the motion included that one more three-bedroom BMR unit be provided and one fewer two-bedroom BMR unit be provided. The applicant has revised the plans to do so, and changed one of the low-income units to be three-bedroom, going beyond what PTC asked to provide a family-sized unit to a lower income bracket. The table below shows that the BMR units are as close to 20% per size of unit as possible considering the unit distribution throughout the building.
800 San Antonio Provided Below Market Rate Unit vs 20% Allocation Total Units BMR Units Provided % 20% BMR
1-bed 7 2 29% 1.4
2-bed 52 10 19% 10.4
3-bed 16 3 19% 3.2
Total 75 15 20% 15
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
The subject project includes legislative and discretionary actions that follow prior Council direction and guidance relative to the planned home zoning process. Due to the legislative nature of this application the City Council has board authority in its decision-making capacity.
This project located on the San Antonio Road corridor precedes a broader community planning process for this area but provides housing in an area of the City anticipated to see greater housing production. The inclusion of family-sized units, including income restricted units, is consistent with the City’s housing element goals. In exchange for greater housing density and deeper affordability, the developer seeks modification to certain development standards as detailed in this report.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
This is a cost-recovery project, the applicant will pay an hourly rate for all staff time put towards this project. The total estimated development impact fees for this project would be $4,956,709 plus the Public Art fee of approximately $350,000 for a total estimate of $5,306,709.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The Palo Alto Municipal Code requires notice of this public hearing be published in a local paper and mailed to owners and occupants of property within 600 feet of the subject property at least ten days in advance. Notice of a public hearing for this project was published in the Daily Post on April 26, which is 10 days in advance of the meeting. Postcard mailing occurred on April 24, which is 12 days in advance of the meeting.
Public Comments
Public comments regarding this project have been received throughout the review of the project, from prescreening to present. No new comments have been received since the PTC Item 15
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hearing. A summary of the most relevant comments is included below, and all emails received though the publication date of this report are included in Attachment E. • This area lacks bus and bike infrastructure
• The building is too tall, too dense, and does not have step-backs on the upper levels • Concern about children safely walking and biking to school, it is unclear what school district the building is located in
• Open space should not include a roof deck
• Appreciation for below-market rate units
• Concerns about dewatering for below grade parking
• Desire to increase and improve landscaping to include more tree and native pollinator species
• Concern about loss of tree canopy
• Encouraged Council to further prioritize a Coordinated Area Plan for the development of this corridor (this comment was received prior to the Cal Poly student project) • Concern about lane closures on San Antonio Road during construction, and potential coordination issues if multiple projects are under construction simultaneously
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The subject project has been assessed in accordance with the authority and criteria contained in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the State CEQA Guidelines, and the environmental regulations of the City. Specifically, an Addendum to the previously adopted Housing Incentive Program Expansion and 788 San Antonio Road Mixed-Use Project Environmental Impact Report (SCH # 2019090070). The Addendum determined no additional significant environmental impacts will occur as a result of this project, and the project is subject to the previously adopted relevant mitigation measures. The Addendum is available in Attachment F.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Location Map
Attachment B: PC Ordinance
Attachment C: Record of Land Use Action
Attachment D: Zoning Comparison Table
Attachment E: Correspondence
Attachment F: Link to Project Plans and Environmental Documents APPROVED BY:
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169.6'
60.1'
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60.2'
160.8'
60.0'
160.8'
107.0'
148.9'
105.9'
95.0'
129.4'
32.0'
74.4'
.1'
149.9'
244.42'
197.0'
244.42'
197.0'
100.0'
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100.0'
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09.5'
52.2'
197.0'
71.7'
266
3'
106.1'
24.0'
34.3'
102.0'
98.3'
27.4'
11 2.3
'
100.0'
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120.0'
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171.8'
50.0'
169.6'
50.0'
150.0'
8.7'
151.3'
175.0'
175.0'
178.0'
175.0'
75.0'
175.0'
75.0'
175.0'
100.0'
175.0'
100.0'
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62.5'
175.0'
62.5'
175.0'
62.5'
175.0'
62.5'
100.0'
320.1'
77.0'
302.6'
27.2'
59.5'
25.0' 10.0'
150.0'
70.0'
175.0'
60.0'
145.1'
60.0'
145.1'
60.0'
160.0'
100.0'
170.1'
73.0'
10.1'
27.0'
150.0'
90.0'
150.0'
90.0'
150.0'
70.0'
150.0'
70.0'
150.0'
80.0'
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160.0'
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160.0'
100.0'
160.0'
50.0'
160.0'
50.0'
132.0'
50.6'
30.8'110.6'
70.0'
115.2'
32.0'
109.4'
132.0'
130.0'
100.0'
185.2'
219.3'
20.0'
121.6'
165.0'
120.8'
165.0'
121.6'
144.0'
30.8'
219.3'
90.1'
209.1'
89.2'
209.1'
94.1'
198.5'
93.2'
198.5'
98.7'
187.4'
21.3'
76.4'
187.4'
103.5'
178.2'
102.6'
178.2'
107.3'
172.2'
106.7'
172.2'
147.6'
147.0'
34.3'
124.2'
136.6'
118.1'
159.4'
102.4'
27.9'
159.4'
97.2'
107.4'
175.0'
60.0'
175.0'
61.0'
175.0'
61.0'
FABIAN STREET
SAN ANTONIO ROAD
LEGHORN STREET
EAST CHARLESTON ROAD
SAN ANTONIO ROAD
CO
M
ME
RCIAL STREET
EAST CHARLESTON ROAD
CS
CS(A
PC-2711
4918
This map is a product of the
City of Palo Alto GIS
This document is a graphic representation only of best available sources.
Legend
Special Setback
abc Known Structures
Tree (TR)
Zone Districts
Project Site
0' 181'
Attachment A:
Project Site
CITY
OF PALO ALTO
I
N
C
O R P O R A
T
E
D
CAL I FORN IA
P a l o A l t o
T h e C i t y o f
A
P
R
I L
1 6
1 8
9 4
The City of Palo Alto assumes no responsibility for any errors ©1989 to 2016 City of Palo Alto chodgki, 2022-06-13 16:24:25
(\\cc-maps\Encompass\Admin\Personal\Planning.mdb)
Mountain View
GM
PC-2711
Item 15
Attachment A - Location
Map
Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
9 Packet Pg. 164 of 281
NOT YET ADOPTED
0160140_20240417_ay16 1
Ordinance No. ____
Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending Section
18.08.040 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code (The Zoning Map) to Change the Classification of Property Located a t 800-814 San Antonio Road f rom Service Commercial ( CS) to PC Planned Community Zone (PC -______) for the Construction of Multifamily Residential Units.
The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows:
SECTION 1. Findings and Declarations.
(a) On January 19, 2023, Architect Mark Donahue, on behalf of TS 800 SA, LLC (“Applicant”) submitted an application for Rezoning to Planned Community/Planned Home Zoning (PHZ) and Major Architectural Review to redevelop the 800-814 San Antonio Road site with 75 condominium residential units and 1,078 sf of commercial s pace (the “800 San Antonio Project”).
(b) Following Staff Review, the Planning and Transportation Commission (Commission) reviewed the project on June 14, 2023 and recommended the project to the Architectural Review Board.
(c) The Architectural Review Board reviewed the project on August 17, 2023 and March 7, 2024; and recommended approval of the project to the City Council. (d) The Planning and Transportation Commission reviewed the project on April 10, 2024; and recommended approval of the project to the City Council. (e) Approval of the Planned Community Project would constitute a project under the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970, together with related state and local implementation guidelines promulgated thereunder (“CEQA”). (f) The City is the Lead Agency pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21067 as it has the principal responsibility to approve and regulate the Planned Community Project.
(g) The City, in compliance with CEQA, prepared an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Addendum to provide an assessment of the potential environmental consequences of approving and constructing the 800 San Antonio Project. (h) The Council is the decision-making body for approval of the Planned Community Project.
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SECTION 2. Amendment of Zoning Map.
Section 18.08.040 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code, the “Zoning Map,” is hereby amended by changing the zoning of Subject Property from Service Commercial (CS) to “PC Planned Community Zone _____”.
SECTION 3. Project Description.
The Project as a whole is described in the Project Plans. With respect to the Subject Property, the project comprises the uses included in this Ordinance, depicted on the Project Plans, incorporated by reference, including the following components:
(a) Demolition of three existing commercial buildings, as described in more detail in the Project Plans, to facilitate the c onstruction of a 5-story building with 1,0 78 square feet of retail space, and 75 residential condominium units, including 15 units to be sold at below market rates (BMR) in accordance with the City’s BMR guidelines ( 6 units affordable to Very-Low Income households, 5 units affordable to Low Income households, 4 units affordable to Moderate Income households).
SECTION 4. Land Uses.
(a) The following land uses shall be permitted:
(1) Multiple family residential, subject to BMR requirements stated in the project description.
(2) Accessory Facilities and uses customarily incidental to permitted uses
(3) Home Occupations, when accessory to permitted residential uses.
(b) The following land uses shall be permitted on the ground floor, in an area neither greater nor lesser than approximately 1,078 square feet:
(1) Eating and Drinking Services, excluding drive-in and take-out services
(2) Retail Services, excluding liquor stores
(3) Personal Services
(4) Banks and Financial Services
SECTION 5. Site Development Regulations and Development Schedule. (a) Development Standards:
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Development standards for the Subject Property shall be those conforming to the Project Plans.
(b) Parking and Loading Requirements:
The Owner shall provide parking and loading as set forth in the Project Plans.
(c) Modifications to the Development Plan, Land Uses and Site Development R egulations:
Once the project has been constructed consistent with the approved Development Plan, any modifications to the exterior design of the Development Plan or any new construction not specifically permitted by the Development Plan or the site development regulat ions contained in Section 5 (a) – (b ) above shall require an amendment to this Planned Community zone. Any use not specifically permitted by this ordinance shall require an amendment to the PC ordinance.
(d) Development Schedule:
Construction of the project shall commence within two years of the effective date of this ordinance. Prior to expiration of this timeline, the Owner may seek a one year extension from the Director of Planning and Development Services. All cons truction and development of the project shall be complete within 3 years of the start of construction.
SECTION 6. Public Benefits.
(a) Public Benefits:
Development of the Project Site under the provisions of the PC Planned Community District will result in public benefits not otherwise attainable by application of the regulations of general districts or combining districts.
The public benefits provided by the Project include deed-restricted BMR units in excess of the minimum required , retail commercial space on the ground floor, and space for future expansion of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure along San Antonio Road.
(b) Monitoring of Conditions and Public Benefits:
Not later than three (3) years following issuance of a certificate of occupancy and at least every three (3) years thereafter, the Owner shall request that the City review the for compliance with the PC district regulations and the conditions of approval for the associated development. The applicant shall provide adequate funding to reimburse Item 15
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the City for these costs. If conditions or benefits are found deficient by staff, the applicant shall correct such conditions in not more than 90 days from notice by the City. If correction is not made within the prescribed timeframe, the Director of Planning and Development Services will schedule review of the project before the Planning and Transportation Commission and Council to determine appropriate remedies, fines or other actions.
SECTION 7. Environmental Review.
An Addendum to the EIR for the Housing Incentive Program (HIP) on San Antonio Road was prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act. The City Council adopted Resolution No. 9925 certifying the adequacy of the EIR and making findings, including a statement of overriding considerations.
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SECTION 8. Effective Date.
This ordinance shall be effective on the thirty -first day after the date of its adoption (second reading).
INTRODUCED:
PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:
____________________________ ____________________________ City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED:
____________________________ ____________________________ Assistant City Atorney City Manager
____________________________
Director of Planning and
Development Services
Exhibit A: Subject Property Plat and Legal Description
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APPROVAL NO. 2024-____
RECORD OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO LAND USE APPROVAL FOR 800-808 San Antonio Road Planned Home Zoning Project (23PLN-00010)
On May 6, 2024 , the Council held a duly noticed public hearing and, after considering all of the evidence presented, approved the Planned Community/Planned Home Zoning application to allow Request for a Rezoning to Planned Community/Planned Home Zoning to Allow the merging of lots 800 and 808 San Antonio Road, to form an 0.88 acre site. The Project will be a 75 unit residential building with 15 BMR units. The building is designed as a 5 story building with four levels of wood framing over a concrete podium superstructure, with two levels of subterranean parking. The Project also includes a common-use interior courtyard and roof deck, as well as balconies and patios, and amenity spaces . In approving the application, the Council mak e the following findings, determination and declarations:
S ECTION 1. Background.
A
. The Request for a Rezoning to Planned Community/Planned Home Zoning to Allow the merging of lots 800 and 808 San Antonio Road, to form an 0.88 acre site. The Project will be a 75 unit residential building with 15 BMR units. The building is designed as a 5 story building with four levels of wood framing over a concrete podium superstructure, with two levels of subterranean parking. The Project also includes a common - use interior courtyard and roof deck, as well as balconies and patios, and amenity spaces, (“The Project”).
B. The Project application was initially received on January 19, 2023 and was reviewed by City staff and revised by the applicant.
C. Following staff review, the Planning and Transportation Commission reviewed the project on on June 14, 2023.
D
. Th
e plans were revised, reviewed by Staff, and reviewed by the Architectural Review Board on August 17, 2023.
E. Following further revision and staff review, the ARB reviewed the project design and EIR Addendum, on March 7, 2024 and recommended approval.
F. On April 10, 2024 the PTC reviewed the project design and the EIR , and recommended approval.
G. On May 6, 2024, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing, at which evidence was presented and all person were afforded an opportunity to be heard in accordance with the Palo Alto Municipal Code and the Council’s Policies and Procedures. After hearing public testimony, the Council voted to approve the project subject to the conditions set forth in Section 7 of this Record of Land Use Action.
S ECTION 2. Environmental Review.
On May 6, 2024, City Council made the decision to adopt the EIR Addendum.
In conformance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), an Environmental Impact Report was certified by the City Council on November 16, 2020. The 800 San Antonio Project E nvironmental Impact Report (EIR) (State Clearinghouse No. 2019090070) concluded that the proposed project(s) would not have a significant Item 15
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effect on the environment with mitigation as proposed. The EIR is available for review on the City’s web site:
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Planning-Development-Services/Current-Planning/Projects/800- San-Antonio-Road. All m itigation measures as stated in the approved Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) have been incorporated into the conditions of approval.
SEC TION 3. Planned Community Findings
Finding #1: The site is so situated, and the use or uses proposed for the site are of such characteristics that the application of general districts or combining districts will not provide sufficient flexibility to allow the proposed development.
T
he project is consistent with Finding #1 because:
The proposed project includes provides larger, family-serving units, as well as additional affordable housing units. This requires exceeding the allowable floor area, lot coverage, and height to achieve. Additionally, to provide this number of family-serving units, there is less available space on site to provide commercial space and parkland dedicated land. The project is otherwise in compliance with Zoning district requirements.
Finding #2: Development of the site under the provisions of the PC planned community district will result in public benefits not otherwise attainable by application of the regulations of general districts or combining districts. In making the findings required by this section, the planning commission and city council, as appropriate, shall specifically cite the public benefits expected to result from use of the planned community district.
The project is consistent with Finding #2 because:
The primary public benefit for this project is additional housing units to assist the City in reaching their Regional Housing Needs Assessment goals. The project proposes 75 units, the majority of which are 2- and 3-bedrooms to serve families. The project proposes 20% of the units to be designated Below Market Rate, including 6 very-low income, 5 low-income, and 4 moderate-income.
Finding #3: The use or uses permitted, and the site development regulations applicable within the district shall be consistent with the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan, and shall be compatible with existing and potential uses on adjoining sites or within the general vicinity.
The project is consistent with Finding #3 because:
This project is consistent with the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan, as described further in Architectural Review Finding #1 below. The surrounding uses are currently mostly one- to two-story buildings with commercial/personal services, office use, and similar uses. The site is adjacent to an approved mixed use, 4 -story building at 788 San Antonio which is currently in the building permit process. This project is located in the Housing Incentive Program corridor, which allows for higher density residential uses along a portion of San Antonio Road and is anticipated to change the overall character of the neighborhood in this area from low -density commercial uses to high -density residential uses over time.
SECTION 4. Architectural Review Findings
Finding #1: The design is consistent with applicable provisions of the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Code, coordinated area plans (including compatibility requirements), and any relevant design guides.
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The project is consistent with Finding #1 because:
I
n conformance with the following Comp Plan Goals and Policies, the project will include high quality design compatible with surrounding development.
Comp Plan Goals and Policies How project adheres or does not adhere to Comp Plan
The Comprehensive Plan land use designation for
the site is Service Commercial.
The project proposes high-density housing in an
area designated for high-density housing.
Land Use Element
Policy L-1.3 Infill development in the urban
service area should be compatible with its
surroundings and the overall scale and character
of the city to ensure a compact, efficient
development pattern.
This project proposes to redevelop three existing
commercial buildings into a single multiple-family
residential condominium building within the
Housing Incentive Program (HIP) area.
Policy L-2.5 Support the creation of affordable
housing units for middle to lower income level
earners, such as City and
school district employees, as feasible.
This project includes 15 BMR units.
Policy L-2.11 Encourage new development and
redevelopment to incorporate greenery and
natural features such as green
rooftops, pocket parks, plazas and rain gardens.
The proposed building includes a central
courtyard and rooftop garden.
Policy L-6.1 Promote high-quality design and site
planning that is compatible with
surrounding development and public
spaces.
The proposed residential building is being
considered within the context of other projects
being developed in the HIP area, and will meet
the high-quality standards of the Architectural
Review Board.
Policy L-6.7 Where possible, avoid abrupt
changes in scale and density between residential
and non-residential areas and between
residential areas of different densities. To
promote compatibility and gradual transitions
between land uses, place zoning district
boundaries at mid-block locations rather than
along streets wherever possible.
While the proposed project is somewhat out-of-
scale with the existing neighbor to the left, it is
similar in density and scale to the HIP project
approved for the right side adjacent neighbor,
and other projects proposed for the HIP area.
Policy T-1.19 Provide facilities that encourage
and support bicycling and walking.
The building includes sufficient short and long
term bicycle parking.
A
s a PHZ project, the zoning development standards are custom built for the building, and therefore this project will be in compliance with zoning through the ap proval process. No other design guidelines or documents apply to this location.
Finding #2: The project has a unified and coherent design, that:
a. creates an internal sense of order and desirable environment for occupants, visitors, and the general community
,
b. pr
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the historic character including historic resources of the area when relevant, c. is consistent with the context-based design criteria of the applicable zone district, d. provides harmonious transitions in scale, mass and character to adjacent land uses and land use designations,
e. enhances living conditions on the site (if it includes residential uses) and in adjacent residential areas.
The project is consistent with Finding #2 because:
There is internal order between the pedestrian entries, car entry, retail space and amenity space. There are separate, defined entrances for the residents and retail tenant. There is no historic character to preserve.
The proposed five story building is consistent with the applicable context- based design criteria, and scale, mass, and character is consistent with prior and proposed projects anticipated for the HIP area.
Finding #3: The design is of high aesthetic quality, using high quality, integrated materials and appropriate construction techniques, and incorporating textures, colors, and other details that are compatible with and enhance the surrounding area.
The project is consistent with Finding #3 because:
The project incorporates a variety of materials, including glass, gray and beige equitone panels, blue and brown metal panels, and landscape elements. This palette is appropriate for a residential building, and relates to the adjacent 788 San Antonio project while being distinct.
Finding #4: The design is functional, allowing for ease and safety of pedestrian and bicycle traffic and providing for elements that support the building’s necessary operations (e.g. convenient vehicle access to property and utilities, appropriate arrangement and amount of open space and integrated signage, if applicable, etc.).
The project is consistent with Finding #4 because:
The design is functional. The bicycle parking is located at the ground level; the car parking is provided below grade, with driveway access at the northern end of the project site. The tenants will have private balcony space, and communal open space in the courtyard and rooftop garden. The building includes separate trash rooms for the commercial and residential components, and a loading space is located off of San Antonio Road, as well as in the below-grade garage. The primary entrances for the residential and the commercial spaces are well-defined with appropriate area available for signage.
Finding #5: The landscape design complements and enhances the building design and its surroundings, is appropriate to the site’s functions, and utilizes to the extent practical, regional indigenous drought resistant plant material capable of providing desirable habitat that can be appropriately maintained.
The project is consistent with Finding #5 because:
The project is consistent with the finding in that the project provides landscaped area in the front, rear, central courtyard, and rooftop garden. Three existing trees, including two protected Coast Live Oak, will be preserved. All plants proposed are low to moderate water use, and most are native or regionally adapted.
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efficiency, water conservation, building materials, landscaping, and site planning.
The project is consistent with Finding #6 because:
In accordance with the City’s Green Building Regulations, the building will satisfy the requirements for CALGreen Mandatory + Tier 2. The project includes a “cool” high albedo membrane roof, electric vehicle charging outlets, and drought tolerant and native landscaping.
SECTION 5. Architectural Review Approval Granted . Architectural Review Approval is hereby granted for the Project by the City Council pursuant to PAMC Section 18.77.070 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code, effective May 6, 2024 and subject to the conditions of approval in Section 7 of this Record.
SECTION 6. Plan Approval . The plans submitted for Building Permit shall be in substantial conformance with those plans prepared by the applicant titled San Antonio Road Housing, 800/808 San Antonio Road, Palo alto, CA 94303, consisting of 69 pages, uploaded to Accela Citizen Access on April 25, 2024, except as modified to incorporate the conditions of approval in Section 6. A copy of these plans is on file in the Department of Planning and Community Development. The conditions of approval in Section 6 shall be printed on the cover sheet of the plan set submitted with the Building Permit application.
S ECTION 7. Conditions of Approval.
PLANNING DIVISION
1. CONFORMANCE WITH PLANS: Construction and development shall conform to the approved plans entitled, "San Antonio Road Housing, 800/808 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303,” uploaded to the Palo Alto Online Permitting Services Citizen Portal on April 25, 2024, as modified by these conditions of approval.
2. BUILDING PERMIT: Apply for a building permit and meet any and all conditions as contained in this document.
3. BUILDING PERMIT PLAN SET: A copy of this cover letter and conditions of approval shall be printed on the second page of the plans submitted for building permit. Project plans submitted for Building permits shall incorporate the following changes:
a. Dimension the height of the elevator overrun, not to exceed 15 ft from the height of the roof b. Ensure consistency of all area calculations between the calculation sheets and the floor plans
4. ARB SUBCOMMITTEE: Prior to the issuance of building permits, the applicant shall return to the ARB subcommittee for approval of the following items, to the sati sfaction of the Director of Planning and Development Services:
a. No projections be allowed above ground into the special setback b. That private and common space be revised to meet the open space requirements c. The hallway adjacent elevator 2 be revised to have fewer bends in the hallway and to have more functional space adjacent the trash storage and elevator Item 15
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d. Recommend considering alternate locations of the trash collection area, means of bringing trash to the street staging area, and location of the trash staging area e. Schematic foundation design including consideration of planters, bioswales and secant walls f. More comprehensive landscape plan in the courtyard including provisions for planters, furnishing and pathways through the courtyard
g. Provide clerestory windows in the bicycle storage area
5. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: All modifications to the approved project shall be submitted for review and approval prior to construction. If during the Building Permit review and construction phase, the project is modified by the applicant, it is the responsibility of the applicant to contact the Planning Division/project planner directly to obtain approval of the project modification. It is the applicant’s responsibility to highlight any proposed changes to the pro ject and to bring it to the project planner’s attention.
6. ENTITLEMENT EXPIRATION. The project approval shall be valid for a period of two years from the date of issuance of the entitlement. If within such one/two years period, the proposed use of the site or the construction of buildings has not commenced, the Planning entitlement shall expire. Application for a one year extension of this entitlement may be made prior to expiration.
7. MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM. The Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) associated with the project and attached here as Exhibit B is incorporated by reference and all mitigation measures shall be implemented as described in said document. Prior to requesting issuance of any related demolition and/or construction permits, the applicant shall meet with the Project Planner to review and ensure compliance with the MMRP, subject to the satisfaction of the Director of Planning of Planning and Development Services.
8. LANDSCAPE PLAN. Plantings shall be installed in accordance with the approved plan set and shall be permanently maintained and replaced as necessary.
a. The vertical garden green wall shall be maintained, and requires Architectural Review to modify or remove.
9. BASEMENT EXCAVATION: Any retaining wall required for basement excavation shall not prevent the planting and future growth of required landscaping. This shall be review by the Project Planner prior to issuance of a Building permit.
10. NOISE THRESHOLDS ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. In accordance with PAMC Section 9.10.030, No person shall produce, suffer or allow to be produced by any machine, animal or device, or any combination of same, on residential property, a noise level more than six dB above the local ambient at any point outside of the property plane. All noise producing equipment shall be located outside of required setbacks.
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11. OPEN AIR LOUDSPEAKERS (AMPLIFIED MUSIC). In accordance with PAMC Section 9.12, no amplified music shall be used for producing sound in or upon any open area, to which the public has access, between the hours of 11:00pm and one hour after sunrise.
12. NOISE REPORT AT BUILDING STAGE. At the time of building permit issuance for new construction or for installation of any such interior or exterior mechanical equipment, the applicant shall submit an acoustical analysis by an acoustical engineer demonstrating projected compliance with the Noise Ordinance. The analysis shall be based on acoustical readings, equipment specifications and any proposed sound reduction measures, such as equipment enclosures or insulation, which demonstrate a sufficient degree of sound attenuation to assure that the prescribed noise levels will not be exceeded.
13. NOISE REPORT PRIOR TO INSPECTION. Where the acoustical analysis projected noise levels at or within 5 dB less than the Noise Ordinance limits, the applicant shall demonstrate the installed equipment complies with the anticipated noise levels and the Noise Ordinance prior to final Planning inspection approval.
14. SIGN APPROVAL NEEDED. No signs are approved at this time. All signs shall conform to the requirements of Title 16.20 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code (Sign Code) and shall be subject to approval by the Director of Planning.
15. AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENT (OWNERSHIP PROJECT): This project is subject to the affordable housing requirements set forth in Section 16.65.030 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code, and has chosen to exceed it as a part of the Planned Home Zoning (PHZ). Per the PHZ, at least 20% of the units shall be affordable to very low, low, or moderate income such that the income restricted units average out to no more than 80% AMI. The proposed project is required to contain no less than fifteen (15) below market rate units, allocated as shown on the approved plan set.
16. AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN AND AGREEMENT. The applicant shall prepare an affordable housing plan.
An affordable housing agreement, reviewed and approved by the City of Palo Alto, shall be recorded prior to the approval of any final or parcel map or building permit for the development project (PAMC
16.65.090).
17. BELOW MARKET RATE (BMR) HOUSING. All BMR units constru cted under this condition shall be in conformance with the City’s BMR Program rules and regulations. A BMR Agreement in a form acceptable to the City Attorney for the 15 BMR units shall be executed and recorded prior to final map approval or building permit issuance, whichever occurs first. Failure to comply with the timing of this condition and any adopted BMR Program rules and regulations shall not waive its later enforcement.
18. TRASH ROOM. The trash room shall be used solely for the temporary storage of refuse and recycling that is disposed on a regular basis and shall be closed and locked during non-business hours.
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19. REFUSE. All trash areas shall be effectively screened from view and covered and maintained in an orderly state to prevent water from entering into the garbage container. No outdoor storage is allowed/permitted unless designated on the approved plan set. Trash areas shall be maintained in a manner to discourage illegal dumping.
20. MECHANICAL LIFT PARKING. Up to 86 required parking spaces may be provided in a puzzle parking system, which allows independent access to each vehicle. The property owner shall have a maintenance agreement with the lift system manufacturer and the system shall be operational at all times. All new renters/employees shall be given instructions on how to operate the lift system. If the lift system is out of operation for any reason, anyone who is not able to retrieve their vehicle within a 10-minute period shall be reimbursed by the property owner or their designee for travel expenses up to $50 per occurrence.
21. UTILITY LOCATIONS: In no case shall utilities be placed in a location that requires equipment and/or bollards to encroach into a required parking space. In no case shall a pipeline be placed within 10 feet of a proposed tree and/or tree designated to remain.
22. SUBDIVISION MAP. The Lot Merger and Final Map for Condominium Purposes shall be recorded prior to building permit issuance.
23. REQUIRED COVENANTS, CONDITIONS, AND RESTRICTIONS (CC&Rs). PAMC Section 16.38 provides that all condominium and other “community housing projects” shall submit Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&R’s) to the City Attorney for approval prior to issuance of any Certificate of Occupancy.
The City Attorney has developed 13 standard covenants that shall be included in all CC&R’s submitted to the City for approval.
24. ESTIMATED IMPACT FEE: Development Impact Fees, currently estimated in the amount of $4,956,743.76 plus the applicable public art fee, per PAMC 16.61.040, shall be paid prior to the issuance of the related building permit. Fees are subject to change per annual Municipal Fee Schedule.
25. REQUIRED PUBLIC ART. In conformance with PAMC 16.61, and to the satisfaction of the Public Art Commission, the property owner and/or applicant shall pay the in-lieu fee equivalent to 1% of the estimated construction valuation (currently estimated at $350,000), prior to obtaining a Building permit. All required artwork shall be installed as approved by the Public Art Commission and verified by Public Art staff prior to release of the final Use and Occupancy permit.
26. IMPACT FEE 90-DAY PROTEST PERIOD. California Government Code Section 66020 provides that a project applicant who desires to protest the fees, dedications, reservations, or other exactions imposed on a development project must initiate the protest at the time the development project is approved or conditionally approved or within ninety (90) days after the date that fees, dedications, reservations or exactions are imposed on the Project. Additionally, procedural requirements for protesting these development fees, dedications, reservations and exactions are set forth in Government Code Section 66020. IF YOU FAIL TO INITIATE A PROTEST WITHIN THE 90-DAY PERIOD OR FOLLOW THE PROTEST Item 15
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PROCEDURES DESCRIBED IN GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 66020, YOU WILL BE BARRED FROM
CHALLENGING THE VALIDITY OR REASONABLENESS OF THE FEES, DEDICATIONS, RESERVATIONS, AND EXACTIONS. If these requirements constitute fees, taxes, assessments, dedications, reservations, or other exactions as specified in Government Code Sections 66020(a) or 66021, this is to provide notification that, as of the date of this notice, the 90-day period has begun in which you may protest these requirements. This matter is subject to the California Code of Civil Procedures (CCP) Section 1094.5; the time by which judicial review must be sought is governed by CCP Section 1094.6.
27. INDEMNITY. To the extent permitted by law, the Applicant shall indemnify and hold harmless the City, its City Council, its officers, employees and agents (the “indemnified parties”) from and against any claim, action, or proceeding brought by a third party against the indemnified parties and the applicant to attack, set aside or void, any permit or approval authorized hereby for the Project, including (without limitation) reimbursing the City for its actual attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in defense of the litigation. The City may, in its sole discretion, elect to defend any such action with attorneys of its own choice.
28. FINAL INSPECTION: A Planning Division Final inspection will be required to determine substantial compliance with the approved plans prior to the scheduling of a Building Division final. Any revisions during the building process must be approved by Planning, including but not limited to; materials, landscaping and hard surface locations. Contact your Project Planner, Emily Kallas at [email protected]
to schedule this inspection.
BUILDING
29. A building permit is required for the scope of work shown.
30. At building permit submit the following:
a. Structural calculations
b. Green building compliance
c. T24 Energy calculations
d. Complete MEP plans
e. Accessible building elements (i.e, elevator, bathrooms, etc.) and onsite (i.e., accessible route from public sidewalk, bus stop, entrances, etc.)
31. Submit complete life/fire safety code analysis not limit to type of construction, # of stories, occupancy separation, occupied roof, protection of opening in walls and floors, shaft, elevation lobbies, and exiting.
32. Plumbing calculation shall comply with 2022 CPC. OL shall be based on table T1004.5 , CBC. Amend calculation shown on sheet A0.05 prior to submittal.
33. Refer to this link for additional submittal requirements:
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/3/development-services/building- division/checklists/simplified/c1-new-comm-shell-checklist-07062023.pdf
PUBLIC WORKS ZERO WASTE
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34. Project will be required to submit a salvage survey prior to receiving the building permit.
Please anticipate meeting PAMC 5.24 Deconstruction and Construction Materials Management requirements.
35. Ensure the refuse staging area can house three - 4 cubic yard bins plus three - 96 gallon carts. Please show bins and carts to scale in the staging area.
36. Refuse truck pull -out spot shall contain signage notifying tenants and other users th at parking is not allowed during trash pickup days.
37. The following comments below are part of the Palo Alto Municipality Code. If your scope of work includes internal and external bins then cut -sheets for the color -coded internal and external containers, related color-coded millwork, and it’s colored signage must be included in the building plans prior to receiving approval from Zero Waste. Please see below for more details.
As per Palo Alto Municipal Code 5.20.108 the site is required to have color-coded refuse containers, related color-coded millwork, and colored signage. The three refuse containers shall include recycle (blue container), compost (green container), and garbage (black container). Applicant shall present on the plan the locations and quantity of both (any) internal and external refuse containers, it’s millwork, along with the signage. This requirement applies to any external or internal refuse containers located in common areas such as entrances, conference rooms, open space, lobby, garage, mail room, gym, and etc. except for restrooms, copy area, and mother’s room. Millwork to store the color- coded refuse containers must have a minimum of four inches in height worth of color- coding, wrapping around the full width of the millwork. Signage must be color coded with photos or illustrations of commonly discarded items.
Restrooms must have a green compost container for paper towels and an optional black landfill container if applicable. Copy area must have either a recycle bin only or all three refuse receptacles (green compost, blue recycle, and black landfill container). Mother’s room must minimally have a green compost container and black landfill container. Please refer to PAMC 5.20.108 and the Internal Container Guide. Examples of appropriate signage can be found in the Managing Zero Waste at Your Business Guide. Electronic copies of these signage can be found on the Zero Waste Palo Alto’s website, https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Public-Works/Zero-Waste/What-Goes- Where/Toolkit#section-2 and hard copies can be requested from the waste hauler, Greenwaste of Palo Alto, (650) 493-4894.
PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEERING
38. PUBLIC WORKS APPLICATIONS, FORMS, AND DOCUMENTS: Applicant shall be advised that most forms, applications, and informational documents related to Public Works Engineering conditions can be found at the following link:
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Public-Works/Engineering-Services/Forms-and-Permits
39. LOT LINE REMOVAL/MERGER, CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE: A certificate of compliance shall be reviewed, approved, and recorded with the County Recorder’s Office prior to issuance of any grading or building permit(s). The application shall be submitted to Public Works Engineering.
40. LOT LINE REMOVAL/MERGER, THIRD-PARTY REVIEW: The City contracts with a third -party surveyor that will review and provide approval of the map’s technical correctness as the City Surveyor, as permitted by Item 15
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the Subdivision Map Act. The Public Works Department will forward a Scope & Fee Letter from the third- party surveyor and the applicant will be responsible for payment of the fee’s indicated t herein, which is based on the complexity of the map.
41. STREETWORK PERMIT: The applicant shall obtain a Streetwork Permit from the Department of Public Works for all public improvements.
42. GRADING AND EXCAVATION PERMIT: A Grading Permit is required per PAMC C hapter 16.28. The permit application and all applicable documents (see Section H of application) shall be submitted to Public Works Engineering. Add the following note: “THIS GRADING PERMIT WILL ONLY AUTHORIZE GENERAL GRADING AND INSTALLATION OF THE STORM DRAIN SYSTEM. OTHER BUILDING AND UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS ARE
SHOWN FOR REFERENCE INFORMATION ONLY AND ARE SUBJECT TO SEPARATE BUILDING PERMIT APPROVAL.”
43. ROUGH GRADING: provide a Rough Grading Plan for the work proposed as part of the Grading and Excavation Permit application. The Rough Grading Plans shall including the following: pad elevation, elevator pit elevation, ground monitoring wells, limits of over excavation, stockpile area of material, overall earthwork volumes (cut and fill), temporary shoring fo r any existing facilities, ramps for access, crane locations (if any), tree protection measures, etc.
44. SHORING & TIEBACKS: Provide a shoring plan showing the existing utilities (if needed), to clearly indicate how the new structures will be constructed wh ile protecting the existing utilities (if any). If tiebacks are proposed they shall not extend onto adjacent private property, existing easements or into the City’s right- of-way without having first obtained written permission from the private property own ers and/or an encroachment permit from Public Works.
45. GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER STATEMENT: The grading plans shall include the following statement signed and sealed by the Geotechnical Engineer of Record: “THIS PLAN HAS BEEN REVIEWED AND FOUND TO BE IN GENERAL CONFORMANCE WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE GEOTECHNICAL REPORT”.
46. CONSTRUCTION DEWATERING: This project requires a dewatering permit during construction due to the groundwater level relative to the depth of excavation.
47. GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATED PLUME: The project shoring system shall utilize a secant cut-off wall (or similar) to ensure compliance with City “groundwater exclusionary techniques” for dewatering, as defined by PAMC 16.28.030(u).
48. ENCROACHMENT PERMIT: Prior to any work in the public right -of-way, the applicant shall obtain an encroachment permit from the Public Works Department for any work that encroaches onto the City right-of-way.
49. LOGISTICS PLAN: A construction logistics plan shall be provided addressing all impacts to the public including, at a minimum: work hours, noticing of affected businesses, bus stop relocations, construction signage, dust control, noise control, storm water pollution prevention, job trailer, contractors’ parking, truck routes, sta ging, concrete pours, crane lifts, scaffolding, materials storage, pedestrian safety, and Item 15
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traffic control. All truck routes shall conform to the City of Palo Alto’s Trucks and Truck Route Ordinance, Chapter 10.48, and the route map. NOTE: Some items/tasks on the logistics plan may require an encroachment permit.
50. C.3 THIRD -PARTY CERTIFICATION: Applicant shall provide certification from a qualified third -party reviewer that the proposed permanent storm water pollution prevention measures comply with the requirements of Provision C.3 and Palo Alto Municipal Code Chapter 16.11.
51. Submit the following:
a. Stamped and signed C.3 data form (September 2019 version) from SCVURPPP. https://scvurppp.org/wp-
content/uploads/2019/10/SCVURPPP_C3_Data_Form_September2019_fillable_final_9-24-
19.pdf
b. Final stamped and signed letter confirming which documents were reviewed and that the project complies with Provision C.3 and PAMC 16.11.
52. C.3 STORMWATER AGREEMENT: The applicant shall enter into a Stormwater Maintenance Agreement with the City to guarantee the ongoing maintenance of the permanent storm water pollution prevention measures. The City will inspect the treatment measures yearly and charge an inspection fee. The agreement shall be executed by the applicant team prior to building permit final.
53. C.3 FINAL THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION PRIOR TO OCCUPANCY: Within 45 days of the installation of the required storm water treatment measures and prior to the issuance of an occupancy permit for the building, the third-party reviewer shall submit to the City a certification verifying that all the permanent storm water pollution prevention measures were installed in accordance with the approved plans.
54. PAVEMENT RESTORATION: The applicant shall restore the pavement along the entire projec t frontage, curb-to-curb, by performing a 3.5” grind and overlay. The exact restoration limits will be determined once the resulting road condition is known following completion of heavy construction activities and utility lateral installations, at minimum the extent will be the project frontage.
55. EXISTING EASEMENTS: Provide documentation showing approval from the entities affected by the onsite easements to verify that the work within said easements is permitted.
56. PRIOR TO PUBLIC WORKS FINAL/ACCEPTANCE (STORM DRAIN LOGO): The applicant is required to paint “No Dumping/Flows to Matadero Creek” in blue on a white background adjacent to all onsite storm drain inlets. The name of the creek to which the proposed development drains can be obtained from Public Works Engineering. Stencils of the logo are available from the Public Works Environmental Compliance Division, which may be contacted at (650) 329 -2598. Include the instruction to paint the logos on the construction grading and drainage plan.
57. PRIOR TO PUBLIC WORKS FINAL/ACCEPTANCE (RECORD DRAWINGS): At the conclusion of the project applicant shall provide digital as-built/record drawings of all improvements constructed in the public right- of-way or easements in which the City owns an interest.
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TRANSPORTATION
58. All short -term bike parking must be Inverted -U or similar type of 24" wide and 36" high bike racks.
Provide minimum 36-inch spacing between two bike racks.
URBAN FORESTRY
59. UF has reviewed the Arborist report which corresponds to the tree inventory provided on sheet T4. The proposed removal of two Ailanthus altissima (this species is exempt from protection) and two protected Quercus ilex trees (tree #5 and #6) which are growing into the fence will be approved for removal at the building permit phase.
60. The replacement value of tree #5 and #6 is 6 new 24" box trees or 4 new 36" box trees of drought tolerant species and at least half the new species to be native.
61. Tree #8, #9, #11 and #12 also appear to be proposed for removal through they are not labeled as such on the tree inventory. In the building permit clarify if trees 8,911 and 12 are being removed ad if so include the replacement numbers in a tree disposition table along with tree #5 and #6 and provide a planting plan with the number of new replacement plantings. If all new replacements will not fit on site, an in - lieu fee of $650 perm unplanted tree may be proposed.
WATERSHED PROTECTION
The following conditions are required for approval and shall be addressed prior to any future related permit application such as a Building Permit, Excavation and Grading Permit, Certificate of Compliance, Street Work Permit, Encroachment Permit, etc. as further described below.
62. Stormwater treatment measures
a. All Bay Area Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit requirements shall be followed. b. Refer to the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program C.3 Handbook (download here: http://scvurppp-w2k.com/c3_handbook.shtml) for details. c. For all C.3 features, vendor specifications regarding installation and maintenance should be followed and provided to city staff. Copies must be submitted to Pam Boyle Rodriguez at [email protected]. Add this bullet as a note to the building plans. d. Staff from Stormwater Program (Watershed Protection Division) may be present during installation of stormwater treatment measures. Contact Pam Boyle Rodriguez, Stormwater Program Manager, at (650) 329-2421 before installation. Add this bullet as a note to building plans on Stormwater Treatment (C.3) Plan.
63. Bay-friendly Guidelines (rescapeca.org) - Add these bullets as a note to the building plans. a. Do not use chemicals fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or commercial soil amendment. Use Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) materials and compost. Refer to the Bay -Friendly Landscape Guidelines: http://www.stopwaste.org/resource/brochures/bay-friendly-landscape- guidelines-sustainable-practices-landscape-professional for guidance.
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b. Avoid compacting soil in areas that will be unpaved.
64. Stormwater quality protection
a. Temporary and permanent waste, compost and recycling containers shall be covered to prohibit fly-away trash and having rainwater enter the containers. b. Drain downspouts to landscaping (outward from building as needed). c. Drain HVAC fluids from roofs and other areas to landscaping. d. Offsite downgrade storm drain inlets shall also be identified on this plan set and protected. If City staff removes protection from an inlet in the ROW during a rain event, the contractor shall replace the inlet protection by the end of the following business day.
65. All proposed Stormwater treatment measures should have a detail on this detail sheet. Provide a standard detail for the pervious pavers
ELECTRICAL UTILITIES
66. Joint trench plans to be finalized during building permit application
WATER-GAS-WASTEWATER UTILITIES
PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF DEMOLITION PERMIT
67. The applicant shall submit a request to disconnect utility services and remove meters. The utility demo is to be processed within 10 working days after receipt of the request. The demolition permit will be issued by the building inspection division after all utility services and/or meters have been disconnected and removed.
FOR BUILDING AND OTHER CITY’S PERMITS (WGW Utility Engineering)
68. The applicant shall obtain the latest fire hydrant flow tests and review them with the City of Palo Alto Fire Department for all fire department requirements before the Building Department review process.
69. The applicant shall submit a Utility Plan showing how the new development will be served by CPA public utilities. Please amend the Utility Plan to include the size and location of the proposed water and sewer underground utilities including the domestic water service, fire service, domestic and irrigation meters, backflow preventers (labeled the type of backflow devices, RPPA, and RPDA), sewer lateral, and City's sewer cleanout.
70. Domestic water meter layout: Th e applicant needs to provide an estimated domestic water load in G.P.M. to design the water service and meter size. A 3" or 4” water meter will require a 4'x8' water meter set with a 2" by-pass per DWG. NO. WD-04. The vault shall be located on private property inside a public utility easement. The applicant's engineer shall obtain, prepare, and record with the county of Santa Clara, and provide the utility engineering section with copies of the public utilities easement on the front of the property adjacent to the City right of way at the water point of service.
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71. Per City of Palo Alto Utilities Rules & Regulation 15 Metering, the City will provide a master meter at an approved location near the public water main and right of way to serve the whole developme nt or building. The multiunit residential structure must comply with California Water Metering for Multi- unit Structures Water Code as amended by law Senate Bill 7 (Water Code, Division 1, Chapter 8, Article 5, Section 537 -537.5) that requires individual w ater meters or submeters for each unit for structures constructed after January 1, 2018.
72. A capacity study water and wastewater report prepared by the developer’s licensed Engineer shall be submitted to the City of Palo Alto Utilities Engineering Department. The applicant's engineer shall submit flow calculations and system capacity study showing that the on -site and off- site water and sanitary sewer mains and services will provide the domestic, irrigation, fire flows, and wastewater capacity needed to service the development and adjacent properties during anticipated peak flow demands. Field testing may be required to determine current flows and water pressures on the existing water main.
Calculations must be signed and stamped by a registered civil engineer.
73. The applicant is required to perform, at his/her expense, a flow monitoring study of the existing sewer main to determine the remaining capacity. The report must include existing peak flows or depth of flow based on a minimum monitoring period of seven continuous days or as determined by the senior wastewater engineer. The study shall meet the WGW engineering section's requirements and approval.
No downstream overloading of the existing sewer main will be permitted.
74. The applicant shall submit a co mpleted water -gas-wastewater service connection application - load sheet for the City of Palo Alto Utilities. The applicant must provide all the information requested for utility service demands (water in fixture units/g.p.m., fire in g.p.m., and sewer in fixture units/g.p.d.).
The applicant shall provide the new loads and the combined/total loads.
75. The applicant shall submit improvement plans for utility construction. The plans must show the size and location of all underground utilities within the development and the public right of way including meters, backflow preventers, fire service requirements, sewer mains, sewer cleanouts, sewer lift stations, and any other required utilities. Plans for new wastewater laterals and mains need to include new wastewater pipe profiles showing existing potentially conflicting utilities, especially storm drain pipes, and electric and communication duct banks. Existing duct banks need to be daylighted by potholing to the bottom of the ductbank to verify cross section prior to plan approval and starting lateral installation.
Plans for new storm drain mains and laterals need to include profiles showing existing potential conflicts with sewer, water, and gas.
76. The applicant must show on the site plan the existence of any aux iliary water supply, (i.e. water well, gray water, recycled water, rain catchment, water storage tank, etc.).
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77. The applicant shall be responsible for installing and upgrading the existing utility mains and/or services, laterals as necessary to handle antic ipated peak loads. This responsibility includes all costs associated with the design and construction for the installation/upgrade of the utility mains and/or services/laterals.
78. An approved reduced pressure principle assembly (RPPA backflow preventer devi ce) is required for all existing and new water connections from Palo Alto Utilities to comply with requirements of California administrative code, title 17, sections 7583 through 7605 inclusive. The RPPA shall be installed on the owner's property and direc tly behind the water meter within 5 feet of the property line. RPPA for domestic service shall be lead-free. Show the location of the RPPA on the plans.
79. An approved reduced pressure detector assembly (RPDA backflow preventer device, STD. WD -12A or STD. WD-12B) is required for all existing and new fire water connections from Palo Alto Utilities to comply with requirements of California administrative code, title 17, sections 7583 through 7605 inclusive. The RPDA shall be installed on the owner's property and directly behind the City’s fire service, within 5’ (feet) of the property line or City Right of Way. An approved reduced pressure detector assembly (RPDA backflow preventer device, STD. WD-12A or STD. WD-12B) is required for all existing and new fire water connections from Palo Alto Utilities to comply with requirements of California administrative code, title 17, sections 7583 through 7605 inclusive. The RPDA shall be installed on the owner's property and directly behind the City-owned meter, within 5’ (feet) of the property line or City Right of Way.
80. All backflow preventer devices shall be approved by the WGW engineering division. Inspection by the city inspector is required for the supply pipe between the meter and the assembly.
81. The applicant shall pay the capacity fees and connection fees associated with new utility service/s or added demand on existing services. The approved relocation of services, meters, hydrants, or other facilities will be performed at the cost of the person/entity requesting the relocation.
82. A new water service line installation for fire system usage is required. Show the location of the new water service on the plans. The applicant shall provide the engineering department with a copy of the plans for the fire system including all fire department's requirements.
83. Each parcel shall have its own water service and sewer lateral connection shown on the plans.
84. A new sewer lateral is required, and a profile of the sewer lateral is required showing any possible conflicts with elect ric/communications duct banks or other utilities. The proposed two (2) 6” sewer laterals are to be reviewed during the building permit process.
85. All existing water, and gas. and wastewater services/laterals that will not be reused shall be abandoned at the main per the latest WGW utility standards.
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86. Utility vaults, transformers, utility cabinets, concrete bases, or other structures cannot be placed over existing water, gas, or wastewater mains/services. Maintain 1’ horizontal clear separati on from the vault/cabinet/concrete base to existing utilities as found in the field. If there is a conflict with existing utilities, Cabinets/vaults/bases shall be relocated from the planned location as needed to meet field conditions. Trees may not be p lanted within 10 feet of existing water, gas, and wastewater mains/laterals/water services/or meters. New water or wastewater services/laterals/meters may not be installed within 10’ of existing trees. Maintain 10’ between new trees and new water and wastewater services/laterals/meters.
87. The applicant shall provide to the WGW Utility Engineering department a copy of the plans for the fire system including all fire department's requirements prior to the actual service installation.
88. All utility installations shall be in accordance with the City of Palo Alto utility standards for water & wastewater.
89. Note to Engineer: The proposed irrigation service and meter are to be tapped off from the proposed 4" HDPE domestic water service per CPAU's latest standards.
SECTION 7. Term of Approval.
The approval shall be valid for two years from the original date of approval.
PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST: APPROVED:
_________________________ ____________________________ City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
___________________________ ___________________________ Director of Planning and Deputy City Attorney
Development Services
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PLANS AND DRAWINGS REFERENCED:
1. Those plans prepared by the applicant titled San Antonio Road Housing, 800/808 S an Antonio Road, Palo alto, CA 94303, consisting of 69 pages, uploaded to Accela Citizen Access on April 25, 2024, except as modified to incorporate the conditions of approval in Section 6.
2. The Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
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MITIGATION MONITORING + REPORTING PROGRAM
City of Palo Alto Mitigation Monitoring + Reporting Program Page | 1
PROJECT NAME
800 San Antonio PHZ Project
APPLICATION
NUMBER
23PLN-00010
APPROVED BY Emily Foley, City of Palo Alto
APPLICANT/OWNER TS 800 SA LLC
Yorke Lee
12230 Saratoga Sunnyvale Rd
Saratoga, CA 95050
[email protected]
T
he Addendum to the Housing Incentive Program Expansion and 788 San Antonio Road Mixed-Use Project Environmental Impact Report (SCH # 2019090070) identifies the mitigation measures that must be implemented to reduce the impacts associated with the project. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was amended in 1989 to add Section 21081.6, which requires a public agency to adopt a monitoring and reporting program for assessing and ensuring compliance with any required mitigation measures applied to proposed development. As stated in section 21081.6(a)(1) of the Public Resources Code:
... the public agency shall adopt a reporting or monitoring program for the changes made to the project or conditions of project approval, adopted in order to mitigate or avoid significant effects on the environment.
Section 21081.6 also provides general guidelines for implementing mitigation monitoring programs and indicates that specific reporting and/or monitoring requirements, to be enforced during project implementation, shall be defined as part of adopting an IS-MND.
The mitigation monitoring table lists those mitigation measures that would be included as conditions of approval for the project. To ensure that the mitigation measures are properly implemented, a monitoring program has been devised which identifies the timing and responsibility for monitoring each measure.
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MITIGATION MONITORING + REPORTING PROGRAM
City of Palo Alto Mitigation Monitoring + Reporting Program Page | 2 Environmental
Impact Mitigation Measure Responsible for
Implementation
Timing of
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Oversight of
Implementation
AIR QUALITY
A
Q-1 Construction Mitigation. For individual projects in the HIP expansion area that exceed the BAAQMD air
pollutant and precursor screening levels, the project
proponent for that particular development shall conduct a quantifiable analysis to measure construction-related impacts to air quality for all construction phases as
described in the BAAQMD CEQA Guidelines (2017). If
project construction would exceed BAAQMD thresholds
for criteria pollutants, the City shall require the
construction contractor(s) to implement additional
BAAQMD-approved measures beyond Basic Control
requirements and demonstrate that such measures
would reduce emissions to below thresholds. Additional
measures for development projects that exceed
significance criteria may include, but are not limited to:
1. All exposed surfaces shall be watered at a
frequency adequate to maintain minimum soil
moisture of 12 percent. Moisture content can be
v
erified by lab samples or moisture probe.
2. All excavation, grading, and/or demolition
activities shall be suspended when average wind
s
peeds exceed 20 mph.
3. Wind breaks (e.g., trees, fences) shall be installed on the windward side(s) of actively disturbed
ar
eas of construction. Wind breaks should have
at maximum 50 percent air porosity.
4. Vegetative ground cover (e.g., fast-germinating
native grass seed) shall be planted in disturbed
Project
Applicant/verified
in the field by the
Development
Services
Department
Building Division
Prior to issuance
of grading
permit and
periodically
during
construction
City of Palo Alto
Development
Services
Department
Building Division
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Impact Mitigation Measure Responsible for
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Timing of
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areas as soon as possible and watered
appropriately until vegetation is established.
5. The simultaneous occurrence of excavation,
grading, and ground-disturbing construction
activities on the same area at any one time shall
be limited. Activities shall be phased to reduce
the amount of disturbed surfaces at any one
time.
6. All trucks and equipment, including their tires,
shall be washed off prior to leaving the site.
7. Site accesses to a distance of 100 feet from th
e
p
aved road shall be treated with a 6 to 12-inch
compacted layer of wood chips, mulch, or gravel.
8. Minimizing the idling time of diesel-powered
construction equipment to two minutes.
9. The project shall develop a plan demonstrating
that the off-road equipment (more than 50
horsepower) to be used in the construction
p
roject (i.e., owned, leased, and subcontractor
vehicles) would achieve a project wide fleet-
average 20 percent NOX reduction and 45
pe
rcent PM reduction compared to the most
recent ARB fleet average. Acceptable options for
reducing emissions include the use of late model
engines, low-emission diesel products,
alternative fuels, engine retrofit technology,
after-treatment products, add-on devices such as
particulate filters, and/or other options as suc
h
b
ecome available.
10. Use low VOC (i.e., ROG) coatings beyond the
local requirements (i.e., Regulation 8, Rule 3:
Architectural Coatings).
11. Requiring that all construction equipment, diesel
trucks, and generators be equipped with Best
Available Control Technology for emission
reductions of NOX and PM.
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12. Limiting import/export of soils or limiting the
number of hauling trips per day to reduce
emissions of NOX associated with hauling truck
trips.
13. Phasing construction activities to reduce daily
equipment use.
BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
BIO-1 Nesting Bird Surveys and Avoidance – HIP expansion area. Construction, grading, site preparation and other ground-disturbing activities required for development
allowed by the proposed HIP expansion that would
involve vegetation or tree removal shall be prohibited
during the general avian nesting season (February 1 –
August 31), if feasible. If nesting season avoidance is not feasible, the applicant shall retain a qualified biologist, as approved by the City of Palo Alto, to conduct a
preconstruction nesting bird survey to determine the
presence/absence, location, and activity status of any
active nests on or adjacent to the development site. The extent of the survey buffer area surrounding the site
shall be established by the qualified biologist to ensure that direct and indirect effects to nesting birds are
avoided. To avoid the destruction of active nests and to protect the reproductive success of birds protected by
the MBTA and CFGC, nesting bird surveys shall be
performed not more than 14 days prior to scheduled
vegetation clearance and structure demolition. In the
event that active nests are discovered, a suitable buffer (typically a minimum buffer of 50 feet for passerines and a minimum buffer of 250 feet for raptors) shall be
established around such active nests and no construction shall be allowed within the buffer areas until a qualified biologist has determined that the nest is no longer active (i.e., the nestlings have fledged and are no longer reliant on the nest). No ground disturbing activities shall occur within this buffer until the qualified biologist has
confirmed that breeding/nesting is completed and the
Project Applicant/
verified in the by
the Development
Services
Department
Building Division
Prior to
initiation of
construction
activities
City of Palo Alto
Development
Services
Department
Building Division
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young have fledged the nest. Nesting bird surveys are
not required for construction activities occurring
between August 31 and February 1.
BIO-2 Special-Status Plant Species Botanical Surveys. A qualified biologist shall conduct a protocol level botanical survey, including a site visit during the blooming period of the target species in March through July. If the CRPR 1 rank plant is found, the plants shall be avoided by
installing protective fencing and warning construction
personnel of their presence through the WEAP training.
If special-status plants species cannot be avoided,
impacts shall be mitigated at a minimum ratio of 1:1
(number of acres or individuals restored to number of
acres or individuals impacted). A restoration plan shall be prepared and submitted to the City for review and
approval and to CDFW for review. The restoration plan
shall include, at a minimum, the type and area of habitat to be established, restored, enhanced, and/or preserved; goals and objectives of the mitigation project; a
monitoring plan including performance standards and
success criteria; and maintenance activities to occur
during monitoring. The applicant shall implement the
measures prior to commencement of ground
disturbance, tree removal or construction.
Project Applicant/
verified by the
Development
Services
Department
Building Division
Prior to
initiation of
construction
activities; during
restoration if
required
City of Palo Alto
Development
Services
Department
CULTURAL RESOURCES
CUL-1 H
istoric Resource Evaluation. For future projects in the HIP expansion area that would involve demolition or
modification of structures over 45 years in age, a Historic Resources Evaluation (HRE) shall be prepared by a
qualified professional to determine the structure’s
eligibility for listing on the local or state historic registers.
The report shall be submitted to the Planning Director
and will be utilized by staff in their evaluation of the project and CEQA review. If the structure is determined to be eligible for listing on the local or state register, Mitigation Measure CUL-2 shall be implemented.
Project Applicant/
verified by the
Development
Services
Department
Prior to
Entitlement
Approval
City of Palo Alto
Development
Services
Department
Item 15
Attachment C - Draft Record of Land
Use Action with MMRP
Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
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Impact Mitigation Measure Responsible for
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Timing of
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Oversight of
Implementation
CR-1 Worker’s Environmental Awareness Program (WEAP).
For all development subject to the proposed HIP
expansion, a qualified archaeologist shall be retained
who meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional
Qualifications Standards for archaeology to conduct
WEAP training for archaeological sensitivity for all
construction personnel prior to the commencement of
ground disturbing activities. Archaeological sensitivity training should include a description of the types of
cultural resources that may be encountered, cultural
sensitivity issues, regulatory issues, and the proper
protocol for treatment of the materials in the event of a find.
Project Applicant/
verified by the
Development
Services
Department
Prior to ground
disturbance
City of Palo Alto
Development
Services
Department
CR-2 Unanticipated Discovery of Cultural or Tribal Cultural Resources. For all development subject to the proposed
HIP expansion, in the event that archaeological resources are unearthed during project construction, all earth-
disturbing work near the find must be temporarily
suspended or redirected until an archaeologist meeting
the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for archaeology (NPS 1983) has evaluated the
nature and significance of the find. If the discovery
proves to be significant under CEQA, additional work,
such as preservation in place or archaeological data
recovery, shall occur as required by the archeologist in coordination with City staff and descendants and/or
stakeholder groups, as warranted. Once the resource has been properly treated or protected, work in the area
may resume. A Native American representative shall be
retained to monitor mitigation work associated with
Native American cultural material.
Project Applicant/
verified by the
Development
Services
Department
During ground
disturbing
activities
City of Palo Alto
Development
Services
Department
GEOLOGY/SOILS
G
EO-1 Geotechnical Investigation – HIP expansion area. Prior to approval of grading permits for a building or structure associated with the development allowed by the HIP
expansion, a detailed final geotechnical investigation
shall be performed to identify significant geotechnical Project Applicant/
verified by the
Development
Services
Prior to issuance
of building
permit
City of Palo Alto
Development
Services
Department
Item 15
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Use Action with MMRP
Item 15: Staff Report
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Impact Mitigation Measure Responsible for
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Oversight of
Implementation
constraints on the proposed development. The report
shall develop formal recommendations for project design and construction, including site grading/soil preparation and foundation design. Among other components, the
report shall include a quantitative evaluation of
liquefaction susceptibility including projected levels of post-liquefaction settlement; an evaluation of soil shrink- swell potential; and an investigation of compressible soils that may be prone to settlement/subsidence. The report
shall be provided by the applicant to the City of Palo Alto for review and approval and to ensure that foundations
designed for all proposed structures are appropriate and meet code requirements. The geotechnical engineer of
record shall also review the final grading, drainage, and foundation plans to confirm incorporation of the report recommendations and field monitoring during project
construction shall be performed to verify that the work is performed as recommended.
Department
Building Division
GEO-4 Discovery of Paleontological Resources – HIP expansion area. Construction activities associated with the
development allowed under the HIP expansion shall
adhere to the following measures.
1. Ground Disturbance. For ground-disturbing
activities for projects associated with the HIP
expansion, in the event that an unanticipated
fossil discovery is made, then in accordance with
SVP (2010) guidelines, it is the responsibility of
any worker who observes fossils within the
project site to stop work in the immediate
vicinity of the find and notify a qualified
professional paleontologist who shall be retained
to evaluate the discovery, determine its
significance and if additional mitigation or
treatment is warranted. Work in the area of the
discovery will resume once the find is properly
documented and authorization is given to
resume construction work. Any significant
paleontological resources found during
Project Applicant/
verified by the
Development
Services
Department
During
construction
activities
City of Palo Alto
Development
Services
Department
Item 15
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Item 15: Staff Report
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Impact Mitigation Measure Responsible for
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Oversight of
Implementation
construction monitoring will be prepared,
identified, analyzed, and permanently curated in
an approved regional museum repository.
2. Excavation Below 18 Feet. Prior to the
commencement of grading and excavation below
a depth of 18 feet for any project associated with
the HIP expansion, applicants shall retain a
qualified paleontologist approved by the County
to monitor grading and excavation. Monitoring
onsite shall occur whenever grading activities are
occurring. Additional monitors in addition to one
full-time monitor may be required to provide
adequate coverage if earth-moving activities are
occurring simultaneously. Any paleontological
resources discovered by construction personnel
or subcontractors shall be reported immediately
to the paleontologist. In the event undetected
buried resources are encountered during grading
and excavation, work shall be halted or diverted
from the area and the paleontologist shall
evaluate the resource and propose appropriate
mitigation measures. Measures may include
testing, data recovery, reburial, archival review
and/or transfer to the appropriate museum or
educational institution. All testing, data recovery,
reburial, archival review or transfer to research
institutions related to monitoring discoveries
shall be determined by the qualified
paleontologist and shall be reported to the City.
HAZARDS
HAZ-1 Site Risk Management Plan – HIP expansion area. Prior to issuance of permits allowing groundwater dewatering
or earth-disturbing activity, the developer shall prepare a site risk management plan (SRMP). The SRMP will
address known and unknown environmental issues that
may be encountered during development. The plan shall
identify appropriate measures to be followed when
Project Applicant/
verified by the
Development
Services
Department
Building Division
Prior to issuance
of grading
permit
City of Palo Alto
Development
Services
Department
Item 15
Attachment C - Draft Record of Land
Use Action with MMRP
Item 15: Staff Report
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City of Palo Alto Mitigation Monitoring + Reporting Program Page | 9 Environmental
Impact Mitigation Measure Responsible for
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Timing of
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Oversight of
Implementation
impacted soil and groundwater are encountered during
demolition, excavation, dewatering, and construction.
This includes health and safety measures to reduce
exposure to potentially impacted soil and groundwater
for construction workers and dust control measures to
reduce exposure to contaminated dust particles for
nearby residents.
Health and safety measures shall include the required
personal protective equipment (PPE) to be used by site
personnel, including action levels and decision criteria for upgrading the levels of PPE. The SRMP shall also identify personnel to be notified, emergency contacts, and a
sampling protocol if impacted media is encountered. The excavation and demolition contractors shall be made
aware of the possibility of encountering known and
unknown hazardous materials including impacted soil
and groundwater; and shall be provided with appropriate contact and notification information. The plan shall
include a provision stating at what point it is safe to continue with the excavation or demolition, and identify the person authorized to make that determination. In
addition, the SRMP shall include measures for the
appropriate handling and profiling of impacted soil and groundwater to be removed from the project site and
disposed offsite. Removal, transportation, and disposal of impacted soil and groundwater shall be performed in
accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances.
The SMRP shall be submitted to the City of Palo Alto for review and approval.
NOISE
N-1 Construction-Related Noise Reduction Measures. The
applicant shall apply the following measures during
construction of projects in the HIP expansion area:
Mufflers. Construction equipment shall be
properly maintained and all internal combustion
engine driven machinery with intake and exhaust
Project Applicant/
verified by the
Development
Services
Department
Building Division
Prior to issuance
of building
permit
City of Palo Alto
Development
Services
Department
Item 15
Attachment C - Draft Record of Land
Use Action with MMRP
Item 15: Staff Report
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Impact Mitigation Measure Responsible for
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Timing of
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Oversight of
Implementation
mufflers and engine shrouds, as applicable, shall
be in good condition and appropriate for the
equipment. During construction, all equipment,
fixed or mobile, shall be operated with closed
engine doors and shall be equipped with
properly operating and maintained mufflers,
consistent with manufacturers’ standards.
Electrical Power. Electrical power, rather than
diesel equipment, shall be used to run
compressors and similar power tools and to
power temporary structures, such as
construction trailers or caretaker facilities.
Equipment Staging. All stationary equipment
(e.g., air compressors, portable generators) shall
be staged as far away from sensitive receptors as
feasible. Where feasible, construct temporary
noise barriers around stationary equipment in a
manner that fully blocks the line of sight to
residential windows in the adjacent apartment
complex.
Equipment Idling. Construction vehicles and
equipment shall not be left idling for longer than
five minutes when not in use.
Workers’ Radios. All noise from workers’ radios
shall be controlled to a point that they are not
audible at sensitive receptors near construction
activity.
Smart Back-up Alarms. Mobile construction
equipment shall have smart back-up alarms that
automatically adjust the sound level of the alarm
in response to ambient noise levels.
Alternatively, back-up alarms shall be disabled
and replaced with human spotters to ensure
safety when mobile construction equipment is
moving in the reverse direction.
Sound Barrier. During the demolition, site
preparation, grading, building, and paving phases
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Impact Mitigation Measure Responsible for
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Oversight of
Implementation
of construction, temporary sound barriers shall
be installed and maintained facing sensitive
receptors (e.g., residential units, educational
facilities) located within 100 feet of the center of
construction activity. Temporary sound barriers
shall, at a minimum, block the line of sight
between noise-generating construction
equipment and adjacent windows at sensitive
receptors and shall be placed as close to the
source equipment as feasible. Such barriers shall
be field tested to reduce noise by at least 10 dBA
at sensitive receptors. A sound barrier can
achieve a 5 dBA noise level reduction when it is
tall enough to break the line-of-sight from the
source equipment to the sensitive receptor, and
it can achieve an approximate 1 dBA additional
noise level reduction for each 2 feet of height
after it breaks the line of sight (FHWA 2011).
Mobile sound barriers may be used as
appropriate to attenuate construction noise near
the source equipment.
Disturbance Coordinator. The applicant shall
designate a disturbance coordinator who shall be
responsible for responding to any local
complaints about construction noise. The noise
disturbance coordinator shall determine the
cause of the noise complaint (e.g., starting too
early, bad muffler) and shall require that
reasonable measures warranted to correct the
problem be implemented. A telephone number
for the disturbance coordinator shall be
conspicuously posted at the construction site.
TRIBAL CULTURAL RESOURCES
TRC-1 Unanticipated Discovery of Tribal Cultural Resources – HIP expansion area. In the event that cultural resources of Native American origin are identified during
construction of any development associated with
Project Applicant/
verified by the
Development
Services
During
construction
activities
City of Palo Alto
Development
Services
Department
Item 15
Attachment C - Draft Record of Land
Use Action with MMRP
Item 15: Staff Report
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Impact Mitigation Measure Responsible for
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Timing of
Compliance
Oversight of
Implementation
proposed HIP expansion, all earth-disturbing work in the vicinity of the find must be temporarily suspended or
redirected until an archaeologist has evaluated the
nature and significance of the find and an appropriate
Native American representative, based on the nature of
the find, is consulted. If the County, in consultation with local Native Americans, determines that the resource is a tribal cultural resource and thus significant under CEQA, a mitigation plan shall be prepared and implemented in
accordance with state guidelines and in consultation with Native American groups. The plan would include
avoidance of the resource or, if avoidance of the
resource is infeasible, the plan would outline the
appropriate treatment of the resource in coordination
with the archeologist, if applicable, and the appropriate Native American tribal representative.
Department
Building Division
Item 15
Attachment C - Draft Record of Land
Use Action with MMRP
Item 15: Staff Report
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ATTACHMENT D
ZONING COMPARISON TABLE
800 San Antonio Road, 22PLN-00129
Table 1: COMPARISON WITH CHAPTER 18.16 (CS DISTRICT)
Residential Development Standards
Regulation Required Existing Proposed
Minimum Site Area, width and
depth
None APN 147-03-038 (800
san Antonio Road):
18,719 sf
APN 147-03-043 (808-
814 San Antonio Road):
19,475 sf
Resulting parcel:
38,194 sf
0.88 acres
Minimum Front Yard 24 feet special setback 24 feet special setback Special Setback (Front) 24 feet – see Chapter
20.08 & zoning maps
~18-20 feet 24 feet
Rear Yard 10 feet for residential
portion of proposed
project; none for
commercial
~56 feet to ~85 feet
(varies for the three
existing buildings
across the site)
10 feet
Some corners of
balconies protrude 2”-
1’11”. Protrusion is
allowed per CS zoning
in the rear setback.
PC Special Requirement for
Yards
10’ where opposite
from a site in any RE, R-
1, R-2, RM or
applicable PC district,
and separated
therefrom by a street,
alley, creek, drainage
facility or other open
area. For 60% or more
residential projects, the
minimum yard
requirement shall be at
least as restrictive as
the yard requirements
of the most restrictive
residential district
opposite such site line.
Not Applicable/not
adjacent to existing
residential zone
Interior Side Yard None None 5 feet both sides
Min. yard for lot lines abutting
or opposite residential
districts or residential PC
districts
10 feet (2) Not Applicable Not Applicable
Max. Site Coverage 50% (19,097 sf) 30.37% (11,600 sf) 60% (22,885 sf) Item 15
Attachment D - Zoning
Comparison Table
Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
45 Packet Pg. 200 of 281
Max. Building Height 50 ft or
35 ft within 150 ft. of a
residential district
(other than an RM-40
or PC zone) abutting
Rooftop Garden
allowed to exceed
height by 12 ft. Stair
and Elevator overrun
allowed to minimum
height feasible for
access
Mechanical equipment
allowed to exceed
height by 15 ft.
~12-14 feet (single
story); site is not
located within 50 feet
of an RM-40 or PC Zone
60 feet 8 inches to top
of roof parapet
64 feet 8 inches to
Rooftop Garden Trellis
and mechanical
enclosures
PC Special Requirements for
height
50 ft when adjacent to
RM-30, RM-40, 35 ft
when adjacent to RE,
R-1, R-2, RMD, RM, or
PC
Not Applicable Not Applicable/not
adjacent to existing
residential zone
Daylight Plane for lot lines
abutting one or more
residential zone districts other
than an RM-40 or PC Zone
None, as this site is not
abutting a residential
zone (6)
Not Applicable Not Applicable/not
adjacent to existing
residential zone
PC Special Requirements for
Daylight Plane
Non-residential uses
abutting any RE, R-1, R-
2, RM or any
residential PC district –
10 ft and a 3:6 slope
For >60% residential
PC, the daylight planes
may be identical to the
daylight plane
requirements of the
most restrictive
residential district
abutting the site
Not Applicable Not Applicable/not
adjacent to existing
residential zone
Residential Density 30 du/ac per CS Zone
40 du/ac per Housing
Element
107 du/ac per Housing
Incentive Program
Not Applicable
(currently exclusively
commercial)
85 DU/AC
(75 units proposed)
Max. Floor Area Ratio (FAR) 1.0 Total
0.6:1 Residential
(22,916 sf)
0.4:1 Commercial
0.3:1 (11,600 sf)
Commercial FAR
3.0:1 (114,893 sf
Total)
2.98:1 (113,815 sf
Residential)
0.02:1 (1,078 sf
Commercial)
Item 15
Attachment D - Zoning
Comparison Table
Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
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Maximum Floor Area for HIP In no event shall the
Director approve a
commercial FAR that
exceeds the standard
in Table 4 of Section
18.16.060(b) or a total
FAR (including both
residential and
commercial FAR) in
excess of 2.0
Not Applicable 3.0:1 (114,893 sf
Total)
2.98:1 (113,815 sf
Residential)
0.02:1 (1,078 sf
Commercial)
Minimum Useable Open Space 150 sf per unit Not Applicable Common Open Space Provided: 1,830 sf roof
deck, 1,529 sf
courtyard = 3,359 sf or
44.8 sf per unit
Private Open Space:
Typical 65 sf – 155 sf
Average total per unit
meets 150 sf min sf
Minimum Mixed-use Ground
Floor Commercial FAR
0.15:1(10)
5,729.1 sf or 1,500 sf (c)
1,078 sf
(1) No parking or loading space, whether required or optional, shall be located in the first 10 feet adjoining the street property line of any required yard.
(2) Any minimum front, street side, or interior yard shall be planted and maintained as a landscaped screen excluding areas required for access to the site. A solid wall or fence between 5 and 8 feet in height shall be constructed along any common interior lot line. (6) The initial height and slope shall be identical to those of the most restrictive residential zone abutting the site line in question. (10) In the CC(2) zone and on CN and CS zoned sites on El Camino Real, there shall be no minimum mixed use ground floor commercial FAR for a residential project, except to the extent that the retail preservation requirements of Section 18.40.180 or the retail shopping (R) combining district (Chapter 18.30(A)) applies.
(c) A high-density residential or mixed-use project in the CS zone district, but not within the Ground Floor (GF) or Retail (R) combining districts, shall be required to replace only 1,500 square feet of an existing Retail or Retail-Like use. For the purposes of this partial exemption, high-density shall mean 30 or more dwelling units per acre.
Table 2: CONFORMANCE WITH CHAPTER 18.52 (Off-Street Parking and Loading) for Existing Commercial and Proposed Residential*
Type Required Existing Proposed
Vehicle Parking 1/1-bedroom unit
2/2-bedroom or larger
unit
144 spaces total
N/A 148 spaces (76 EVSE
ready)
Bicycle Parking 1 LT space per unit
76 spaces
N/A 76 LT
8 ST
Loading Space 1, for residential
structures with >50
units
N/A One
Item 15
Attachment D - Zoning
Comparison Table
Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
47 Packet Pg. 202 of 281
You don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important From: Dao, Veronica
To: Kallas, Emily
Subject: FW: April 10, 2024, Agenda Item 3, Report #: 2402-2666 Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 5:18:46 PM
Attachments: image001.png
image002.png
RE: 800 San Antonio
He also sent an email to PTC late afternoon before the 4/10 meeting.
Veronica
Veronica Dao
Administrative Associate III
Planning and Development Department
(650) 329-2440 | [email protected]
www.cityofpaloalto.org
From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2024 4:55 PM
To: Planning Commission <[email protected]> Subject: April 10, 2024, Agenda Item 3, Report #: 2402-2666
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Planning and Transportation Commission members
While the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, reviews compliance of the project plans with various criteria, there appears to be no comparison with the City of Palo Alto Urban Forest Master Plan. For example, “City of Palo Alto Urban Forest Master Plan, Policy 6.D. Strive for canopy equity—prioritizing areas in which the UC Davis report indicated a decrease between 1982 and 2010” supported by “Program
6.D.i. Investigate reasons for less canopy in south Palo Alto.” and “Program 6.D.ii. Develop strategies to end the trend of decreasing canopy in South Palo Alto” are not mentioned. Since South Palo Alto is sufficiently below the average canopy coverage of Palo Alto for Canopy to have a tree planting program to improve the canopy coverage, a “no net loss of canopy” requirement seems insufficient.
The canopy coverage target for the project should at least match the goal for South Palo Alto – If not, how will the goal for South Palo Alto be met? Explicit goals and timelines should be set.
Respectfully,
Item 15
Attachment E - Neighbor
Comments
Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
48 Packet Pg. 203 of 281
John Petrilla
777 San Antonio Rd
Palo Alto, CA
Item 15
Attachment E - Neighbor
Comments
Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
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From: Kallas, Emily
To: Dana Wyse
Subject: RE: 800 San Antonio Rd Project
Date: Monday, March 18, 2024 10:25:00 AM
Attachments: image001.png
image002.png
Hi Dana,
Thank you for letting me know, we will keep this in mind and I will include it in public comments for this project.
Thanks,
Emily
Emily Kallas, AICP
Planner
Planning and Development Services Department
(650) 617-3125 | [email protected]
www.cityofpaloalto.org
Parcel Report | Palo Alto Zoning Code | Online Permitting System | Planning Forms & Applications | Planning Applications Mapped
From: Dana Wyse <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 4, 2024 9:01 AM
To: Kallas, Emily <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: 800 San Antonio Rd Project
Yes. They used the parking lane the entire project. Many times they also used the right lane.
Dana Wyse
C 650-793-4212
On Mon, Mar 4, 2024 at 8:58 AM Kallas, Emily <[email protected] > wrote:
Hi Dana,
Thank you for your comment. Lane closures and other related construction logistics are generally addressed during the building permit process, after the planning entitlement has been approved.
We do not know what this project would require yet in that regard, but we will take your comment into consideration. Do you recall if there were lane closures associated with the recently Item 15
Attachment E - Neighbor
Comments
Item 15: Staff Report
Pg.
50 Packet Pg. 205 of 281
You don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important built hotels? If so, I can discuss it with Public Works Engineering and get more information.
Thanks,
Emily
Emily Kallas, AICP
Planner
Planning and Development Services Department
(650) 617-3125 | [email protected]
www.cityofpaloalto.org
Parcel Report | Palo Alto Zoning Code | Online Permitting System | Planning Forms & Applications | Planning Applications Mapped
From: Dana Wyse <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, March 1, 2024 10:20 AM
To: Kallas, Emily <[email protected]>
Subject: 800 San Antonio Rd Project
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.
Hello Emily,
I own property on Fabian Wy, so I receive the notice of Architectural Review. I have owned the property at 4055-57 for 30 years. Everytime a large project has gone up on San Antonio Rd, the contractor somehow gets the city, usually Mountain View to allow them to use one of the lanes which causes massive congestion for the life of the project. I am not against building more housing but feel any project undertaken should provide an area on the project site for any construction related work. Slightly closer to Charleston the parking lane ends which means if a lane is allowed to be used all cars would be fed into a single lane. At the signal at Charleston and San Antoinio there are 2 left turn lanes and 2 normal lanes. If you step back to 800 San Antonio we are talking about one lane feeding 4 lanes if a closure is allowed. I feel if the project is allowed to go forward all closures should be limited to Leghorn which is the street bordering 788 San Antonio. Please let me know what the city’s plan is regarding the impact on traffic.
Sincerely,
Dana Wyse
************
Item 15
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Comments
Item 15: Staff Report
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Dana Wyse
C 650-793-4212
Item 15
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Comments
Item 15: Staff Report
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From: [email protected]
To: Architectural Review Board
Cc: Kallas, Emily
Subject: PUBLIC HEARING / QUASI-JUDICIAL. 800 San Antonio Road [23PLN-00010] Date: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 11:56:17 PM
Some people who received this message don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Architectural Review Board
Regarding the ARB Staff Report #: 2312-2392, on Page 36 it’s stated, “Staff also notes that the plans do not currently provide sufficient information to show compliance with the City’s Tree Protection Ordinance and no net loss of canopy requirements.” Since South Palo Alto is sufficiently below the average canopy coverage of Palo Alto for Canopy to have a tree planting program to improve the canopy coverage, “no net loss of canopy requirements” seems insufficient. The canopy coverage target for the project should at least match the goal for South Palo Alto – If not, how will the goal for South Palo Alto be met. Explicit goals and timelines should be set.
Sadly, it seems that other than the front setback areas (which may soon become bike lanes) there’s little natural ground surfaces. Ok, perhaps for downtown areas but disappointing for residential neighborhoods.
Regards,
John Petrilla
777 San Antonio Rd
Palo Alto, CA 94303
Item 15
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Comments
Item 15: Staff Report
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1 Kallas, Emily
From: Joan Larrabee <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2023 1:53 PM
To: Kallas, Emily
Subject: Re: 800 San Antonio Road
Thank you, Emily.
When will this project go to City Council?
Joan Larrabee
> On Aug 21, 2023, at 11:50 AM, Kallas, Emily <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Hi Joan,
>
> Thank you for your questions. My responses are as follows:
> 1. This is proposed to be a condominium
ownership project.
> 2. Typically the schools are not a part of the Planning Entitlement phase of a project. School fees are paid at the time of Building Permits. However, we understand your concerns regarding Safe Routes to Schools and are considering it in the project review.
> 3. Bike parking is a zoning code requirement for all housing units, regardless of location. >
> Thanks,
> Emily
>
> Emily Kallas, AICP
> Planner
> Planning and Development Services Department
> (650) 617‐3125 | [email protected]
> www.cityofpaloalto.org
>
>
> ‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐
> From: Joan Larrabee <[email protected]>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2023 9:17 PM
> To: Kallas, Emily <[email protected]>
> Subject: Re: 800 San Antonio Road
>
> Thank you, Emily,
> Questions the public asked during previous hearings still not answered:
> Since these are to be rentals, will there be an on‐site manager? > Which school district will students attend? Mountain View or Palo Alto? It seems the boundary goes through the property.
> Why all the bike parking spaces when there are no bike lanes? > Joan Larrabee
>
>> On Aug 16, 2023, at 4:39 PM, Kallas, Emily <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
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2 >> Hi Joan,
>>
>> The Staff Report is available here:
>> https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Planning‐Development‐Servi >> c es/Architectural‐Review‐Board‐ARB/Current‐ARB‐Agendas‐Minutes >> The Plans are downloadable from this webpage:
>> https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Planning‐Development‐Servi >> c es/Current‐Planning/Projects/800‐San‐Antonio‐Road
>>
>> Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about the project. >>
>> Thanks,
>> Emily
>>
>>
>> Emily Kallas, AICP
>> Planner
>> Planning and Development Services Department
>> (650) 617‐3125 | [email protected]
>> www.cityofpaloalto.org
>>
>>
>>
>> Parcel Report | Palo Alto Zoning Code | Online Permitting System | >> Planning Forms & Applications | Planning Applications Mapped >>
>> ‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐
>> From: Joan Larrabee <[email protected]>
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2023 4:27 PM
>> To: Kallas, Emily <[email protected]>
>> Subject: 800 San Antonio Road
>>
>> [You don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why >> this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] >>
>> CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.
>> ________________________________
>>
>> Good Afternoon, Emily,
>> Please forward to me the staff report and plans for the proposal for 800 San Antonio Road, I am i able to open any materials at the address provided on the postcard mailed to me. >> I would like to attend the meeting tomorrow morning. >> Joan Larrabee
>> 777‐16 San Antonio Road
>> Palo Alto
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1 Kallas, Emily
From: MGA Properties <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2023 10:19 AM
To: Kallas, Emily
Subject: Re: 788 San Antonio Road project
10:00 am is good.
Okay, I guess I read the wrong address.
We’re across the street anyway but wanted to see how it is going to affect us.
Thanks,
Janelle
On Mon, Aug 28, 2023 at 12:16 PM Kallas, Emily <[email protected]> wrote:
Hi Janelle,
I can do 10 am, or any time after 1:30 pm.
Additionally, I noticed your email subject line says 788 San Antonio. The meeting on the 17th was for 800‐814 San Antonio next door.
Thanks,
Emily
Emily Kallas, AICP
Planner
Planning and Development Services Department
(650) 617‐3125 | [email protected]
www.cityofpaloalto.org
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2 Parcel Report | Palo Alto Zoning Code | Online Permitting System | Planning Forms & Applications | Planning Applications Mapped
From: MGA Properties <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2023 10:09 AM
To: Kallas, Emily <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: 788 San Antonio Road project
Thank you Emily for getting back to me.
A phone call would be fine.
What time tomorrow would work for you?
Thanks,
Janelle
On Mon, Aug 28, 2023 at 11:54 AM Kallas, Emily <[email protected]> wrote:
Hi Janelle,
I am happy to answer any of your questions, either via email or with a call/virtual meeting. Which would you prefer? For a longer call, I have a full schedule today but am open most of the day tomorrow, or Wednesday afternoon.
Thanks,
Emily
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3 Emily Kallas, AICP
Planner
Planning and Development Services Department
(650) 617‐3125 | [email protected]
www.cityofpaloalto.org
Parcel Report | Palo Alto Zoning Code | Online Permitting System | Planning Forms & Applications | Planning Applications Mapped
From: MGA Properties <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2023 9:50 AM
To: Kallas, Emily <[email protected]>
Subject: 788 San Antonio Road project
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.
Hello Emily,
We received your notice in the mail.
Unfortunately, we missed the meeting.
I am the owner of a building across the street.
I wanted to discuss the project and it’s affect on the neighborhood with you.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience.
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4 Thanks,
Janelle
(650)464‐5209
‐‐
Manager
MGA Properties, Inc
125 E Sunnyoaks Avenue Suite 201
Campbell, CA 95008
Ph:(408)871‐5914
Fax:(408)871‐5911
‐‐
Manager
MGA Properties, Inc
125 E Sunnyoaks Avenue Suite 201
Campbell, CA 95008
Ph:(408)871‐5914
Fax:(408)871‐5911
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If you need assistance reviewing the above documents, please contact the Project Planner or call the Planner-on-Duty at 650-617-3117 or email [email protected]
Project Plans
In order to reduce paper consumption, a limited number of hard copy project plans are provided to Board members for their review. The same plans are available to the public, at all hours of the day, via the following online resources.
Directions to review Project plans and environmental documents online:
1. Go to: bit.ly/PApendingprojects
2. Scroll down to find “800 San Antonio” and click the address link
3. On this project-specific webpage you will find a link to the project plans and other important information
Direct Link to Project Webpage:
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Planning-Development-Services/Current- Planning/Projects/800-San-Antonio-Road
Materials Boards:
Color and material boards will be available to view in chambers during the ARB hearing.
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Environmental
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City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: STUDY SESSION
Lead Department: Human Resources
Meeting Date: May 6, 2024
Report #:2404-2890
TITLE
Review Workforce Recruitment Strategic Plan and Recommendations for Improvements in the Recruitment Process
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Council receive this report on the development and implementation of the City of Palo Alto’s workforce recruitment strategic plan.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Palo Alto engaged with Municipal Resource Group to review the existing recruitment, marketing, onboarding, and candidate experience process for recommendation of additional areas for targeted growth, development, and enhancement (Assessment Report, Attachment A). This study session provides an overview of the work completed and outlines the current and ongoing implementation work.
BACKGROUND
As the region and state emerged from the worst of the global pandemic, there was a clear need to reinstate and expand service areas to our community. The widespread impacts of this unique moment in recent history led to a change in expectations around work flexibility, what is now known as the great resignation, and an unparalleled increase in "quiet quitting." It is against this backdrop the City was now competing for talent.
During the Council review of the FY2024 budget, the Council asked the HR department to examine potential improvements to its recruitment processes and develop an overall strategy for reducing the citywide vacancy rate, which, during this period, had hit a peak of 17% with significant position restoration approved in FY 2023 after the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic had passed.
Beginning in June of 2023, the City’s HR department began the process of finding the appropriate subject matter expertise to conduct an assessment and return with an overall Item 16
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assessment and strategic plan for elevating the City’s current recruitment program. Municipal Resource Group (“MRG”) was chosen due to its vast public sector experience and recent success in developing high-end, curated, and tailored strategic plans for municipal governments, most recently aiding Berkeley in developing its citywide workforce roadmap with improvement initiatives.
In August of 2023, the project held its official kick off with MRG recommending and conducting an assessment of the full cycle recruitment process, which included interviews with department stakeholders, hiring managers, recent candidates, current and former recruitment staff, and all current HR staff involved in any portion of the recruitment, marketing, or onboarding process.
This assessment acted as the baseline for MRG to work with staff to identify key areas for development, resource allocation, and process improvement.
ANALYSIS
As outlined in the Assessment Report, the City of Palo Alto is not alone in facing recruitment and talent acquisition challenges. Municipalities across the state are reporting similar recruitment and retention issues as reported by the League of California Cities and government thought leaders. NEOGOV, the preeminent government jobs/career site, has reported a 55% decrease in the number of applications per job across all public sector clients since 2019. Paired against a 78% increase in the number of job openings over a similar time period creates a daunting recruitment landscape.
MRG’s assessment focuses on several key areas where top performing organizations must prioritize to win top talent. These areas include;
(1) Efficient and expedient recruitment processes
(2) Providing an excellent candidate experience with regular active and engaging communication
(3) Incorporating candidate feedback into process wherever feasible (4) Building a compelling brand and message
(5) Marketing that communicates how future employees can help find purpose and create impact when working for a local government agency
(6) Increase in capacity for active marketing and candidate sourcing (7) Building a pipeline of talents for the long-term through internships, apprenticeships, and reviewing job requirements to broaden the field for future candidates.
Through interviews and deep analysis of existing recruitment data, MRG is recommending a multi-year Recruitment Strategic Plan tailored and focused on areas of opportunity, expansion, and growth. The strategic plan has 31 separate initiatives and is broken into four categories with objectives and criteria outlined within each category. The four categories that will be reviewed during this study session are:
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1. Boost Recruitment Capacity and Capabilities
2. Active Marketing, Advertising, and Sourcing
3. Streamline Process and Uplift Data/Metrics
4. Invest in Talent Pipeline
The assessment report and resulting Recruitment Strategic Plan is comprehensive and detailed.
Under the City Manager’s and HR’s leadership, improvements are already actively underway. It is important to acknowledge that this is a multi-year strategic plan and requires long-term focus, strategy, commitment and resources to be fully implemented.
Some of the key areas identified that are already being implemented include:
• Onboarding process improvement project: This project has a goal of reducing the current average time a candidate spends between Conditional offer letter and first day of work.
Currently this sits at 45 days, the target goal is a 10% reduction within the first 6 months. • Digital marketing pilot: Positions were selected within Public Works and Utilities and pilots are underway utilizing enhanced digital advertising campaigns to drive candidate engagement and lead generation.
• Enhanced expedited hiring process, specifically the City HRL program: The Human Resources Liaison program (HRL) is the bedrock of the expedited hiring process, bringing departments into the recruitment process and empowering departments to actively support the filling of vacancies through direct recruitment support and providing more opportunities for candidate engagement. Through staffing resources from departments, the HR team continues to expand this program to additional departments, enacted a standard 3 session training course, and increased recruitment bandwidth city-wide.
The Human Resources Department next plans to expand implementation into the following areas outlined in the strategic plan:
• As a part of the FY2025 budget, a new Recruitment Division Manager position is recommended to focus on the execution of critical projects, expansion of the expedited hiring process, and professional development of our existing recruitment personnel.
This new position will lead the implementation of the overall strategic plan for workforce recruitment building on areas already in progress. This position will also play a pivotal role in implementation of the City’s diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) plan related to recruitment, screening, selection and marketing. • Refresh recruitment team training guides focused on agile recruitment models, enhanced candidate experience, and increased department engagement. • Upskill current personnel with tailored and targeted professional development plans, incorporating future areas of recruitment need.
• Lead/project manage software integration between the City’s applicant tracking system (NEOGOV) and the City’s enterprise resource planning system (SAP).
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• Plan, manage, and implement master contract/RFP for digital marketing services creating a toolkit of vendors that can be easily accessible and utilized by HR recruiters and depart HRLs. (Contingent on funding and results of the pilot program underway) • Develop and implement additional talent pipelines such as internship programs, apprenticeships, career ladders and direct hire programs • Partner with the City Manager’s Office and the City’s Equity and Inclusion Program manager to review and implement DEIB strategic plan areas impacting recruitment processes and practices
• Plan, manage, and implement overhaul of the City’s application and candidate portals focusing on mobile friendly experience from start to finish The HR team appreciates the work conducted by MRG and is excited to continue working towards creating an elevated recruitment process maintaining Palo Alto’s status as an employer of choice. Implementation of this strategic plan will continue to remain at the forefront of guiding investments in staffing and tools city-wide.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Through the FY2025 budget review, the Council will review the recommended additional staffing to support implementation of the strategic plan. In addition, once the RFP for digital marketing services is complete and better costing and effectiveness of the pilot is known, staff will return to Council to discuss funding needs for active recruitment.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
As outlined in the report submitted by MRG, there was substantial stakeholder engagement in the development of this assessment including engagement of candidates, hiring managers, department directors, current and former recruitment staff, other HR divisions, and administrative services divisions (Payroll).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Council action on this item is not a project as defined by CEQA because assessing and improving recruitment strategies is a continuing administrative activity. CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(2).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Recruitment Strategic Plan
APPROVED BY:
Sandra Blanch, Human Resources Director
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Has
Recruitment Strategic Plan
CITY OF PALO ALTO
Navigating Talent Streams
to Reel In Excellence
The City of Palo Alto has long committed itself to being an "Employer of Choice“ -- to attract and retain high quality employees to foster a culture committed to health and long-term success of the city organization, its workforce, and the Palo Alto community.
In recent years, fishing for talent has become increasingly challenging in all sectors.
Recruiting best practices have shifted and the workforce has changed dramatically post COVID. This report outlines the current conditions for recruiting in Palo Alto and creates a Recruitment Strategic Plan that builds on current strengths and outlines opportunities for new strategies and tactics in order reel in excellent talent to join Palo Alto’s team.
Prepared by MRG & All Star Talent -- April 2024
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PALO ALTO – RECRUITMENT STRATEGIC PLAN PAGE | 2
INTRODUCTION
Just as fishing requires patience to wait for the right moment to catch a fish, recruiting often demands patience and persistence in finding the right candidate for a job. Both activities may involve periods of waiting and uncertainty before achieving success. Both activities involve a combination of skill, strategy, and a willingness to adapt to changing conditions. Fishing and recruiting for employees share several similarities in their processes and outcomes as noted below.
1. Understanding the Environment: Successful fishing requires an understanding of the fishing environment, including knowledge of the water, weather conditions, and fish behavior. Similarly, effective recruiting involves understanding the job market, industry trends, and the characteristics of potential candidates.
2. Skill and Strategy: Both fishing and recruiting require skill and strategic thinking. Anglers use different techniques, bait, and equipment to attract fish, while recruiters use various methods, such as job postings, networking, digital advertising, and headhunting, to attract and assess candidates.
3. Adaptability & Agility: In fishing, anglers must adapt their strategies based on changing conditions, such as weather, water clarity, and fish activity. Similarly, recruiters need to adapt their approaches based on factors like market demand, candidate availability, new technology, and hiring trends.
4. Setting the Right Expectations: Just as a fisherman sets realistic expectations about the type and size of fish they hope to catch, recruiters must set realistic expectations about the qualifications and fit of potential candidates for a job.
5. Celebrating Successes: Landing a prized catch in fishing can be a cause for celebration, just as successfully hiring a talented candidate to be a new Palo Alto employee is a significant achievement for recruiters and hiring managers.
Overall, both fishing and recruiting require a combination of patience, skill, adaptability, and strategic thinking to achieve success. Recognizing and embracing these similarities can help recruiters approach their work with a fresh perspective and enhance their effectiveness in finding the right talent for their organizations. "The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions of hope." - John Buchan, Scottish novelist & politician Fishing is like recruiting … the hopeful search ... and the excitement of reeling in excellence.
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PROJECT OVERVIEW
Similar to other employers, the City of Palo Alto is facing vacancies across the organization and is experiencing challenges recruiting employees. Jurisdictions around the country are seeking ways to improve the hiring of staff – to identify and tailor new methods of recruiting, retaining, and engaging employees, and to plan for future workforce development. Employers that are not adapting and advancing their organizations are in danger of losing excellent employees and being unable to retain or compete for top talent. The importance of strong and effective recruitment operations cannot be understated.
Why filling vacancies is so critical to the success and sustainability of an organization … SUPPORT MORALE – REDUCE
STRESS & BURNOUT
Vacancies can lead to
decreased productivity as
existing employees may need
to take on additional
responsibilities to
compensate for the unfilled
roles. This can result in
burnout, reduced morale, and
decreased overall output.
MEET OBJECTIVES &
PRODUCTIVITY
Vacancies hinder an
organization's ability to
achieve its strategic goals and
objectives. Unfilled positions
may delay projects, disrupt
workflow, and impede
progress toward key
milestones.
DELIVER CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION
Vacancies in customer-facing
roles can directly impact
satisfaction levels. Long wait
times, reduced service quality,
and unmet needs due to
understaffing can lead to
dissatisfaction and quality of
life impacts on the community.
RETAIN & DEVELOP TALENT
High levels of vacancies can
contribute to employee
dissatisfaction and turnover as
existing staff become
frustrated with increased
workloads, increased training
of newly onboarded staff, and
overall increased
responsibilities.
BUILD ORGANIZATIONAL
REPUTATION
Prolonged vacancies can
negatively impact an
organization's reputation as an
Employer of Choice. A high
turnover rate or difficulty in
filling positions may signal
underlying issues within the
organization, deterring
potential candidates from
applying and damaging the
employer's brand.
In mid-August 2023, the City of Palo Alto (“City”) engaged the Municipal Resource Group (“MRG”) to provide an assessment to help the City review and enhance the City’s recruitment operations, processes, and marketing. Information on each consulting firm and team members is included in Appendix E. For this assignment, MRG conducted a thorough assessment including interviews, data review and analysis, detailed process review, and marketing analysis. The scope of this project is outlined in the graphic to the right.
The goal of this assessment was to review the organization’s recruitment program and craft an actionable strategic plan to attract employees titled the “Recruitment Strategic Plan”. This Strategic Plan creates four themed areas of focus with a total of thirty-one (31) action items. This report is organized in the following sections:
Section 1 – Executive Summary
Section 2 -- Trends & Current Landscape
Section 3 – Findings & Recommendations
Section 4 -- Recruitment Strategic Plan
Section 5 -- Implementation
Section 6 -- Appendices (A - Detailed Recruitment Process Recommendations; B - Marketing Strategy Summary & Best Practices; C - Social Media SWOT Review; D - Secret Shopper Analysis; E - Consultant Firm / Team Information) Item 16
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SECTION 1 – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Prompted by the imperative to streamline and enhance talent acquisition amidst evolving dynamics, the City Council directed the City Manager to initiate an assessment of the City’s recruitment operations in mid-2023. The aim was to speed up the recruitment processes, improve customer service with departments, attract top talent, and ensure greater efficiency and effectiveness.
Recruiting Landscape
Recruiting today presents challenges characterized by a decrease in qualified candidates juxtaposed with a surge in job openings, particularly evident in the public sector. Nationally, local governments are experiencing the following:
55% decrease in the number of applicants per public sector job (2019). 78% increase in the number of public sector job openings (2020).
This translates into fewer applications per public sector job recruitment. To add to the dilemma, it is important to realize that many of the applications received are not qualified to perform the advertised job. In 2023, Palo Alto received 8,045 applications for full-time vacant positions, and after vetting, 3,515 applications (43%) were considered qualified with others being screened out (incomplete applications, not meeting minimum qualifications, not the best qualified). When reviewing 2023 recruitments, we found 47% of the recruitments received less than 10 “qualified” applicants and 63% of the recruitments received less than 15 “qualified” applicants.
This dynamic was compounded by increased peak recruitment workload plus resource constraints within the Human Resources Department and the Recruitment/Selection Division. Following the freezing of positions and a reduction in force from pandemic revenue loss, the City Council restored a total of 140 FTE positions between 2022 and today which necessitated new recruiting activity. During a similar timeframe, the HR Recruitment/Selection team experienced a complete turnover in late 2021 and is only now nearing full staffing capacity in February 2024. Furthermore, management capacity was impacted by the vacancy of the Assistant HR Director role for a significant period in 2022-2023.
As of January 2024, the City of Palo Alto faces a vacancy rate of 13.7%, with 20% of these vacancies stemming from newly created positions in the FY 23/24 budget. Of concern, 43% of departments struggle with vacancy rates surpassing 15%, impacting service delivery, employee morale, and overall productivity. While recruitment efforts are actively addressing 44% of vacant positions, 49% await initiation of the recruitment process by respective departments. HR has been triaging these recruitments with departments to the best of their abilities, but no overall strategic work program exists to create a proactive plan for how, when, and who will be leading the recruitments to move through this peak workload with prioritization.
Addressing these challenges demands strategic interventions aimed at enhancing candidate quality, streamlining recruitment processes, and optimizing resource allocation to effectively meet the organization's staffing needs. These measures are crucial for maintaining operational efficiency and ensuring the continued provision of high-quality services to the community.
Uniqueness of Palo Alto’s Scope of Services
While each local government is individualized, unique attributes of Palo Alto’s organization and services dramatically impact recruiting. First, Palo Alto is a full-service municipality with extensive sophisticated utilities (including a water treatment plant and electric utility competing with PG&E), a museum, a zoo, libraries plus numerous other city departments typically found in most municipalities. This breadth and depth of the City’s services adds complexity to recruiting. Each functional area of the City requires a recruiting team that fully understands the operations/work of the vacant position and targeted avenues for marketing effectively.
Current Status
Compared to other municipalities, Palo Alto stands at a favorable juncture to enhance and modernize its recruitment practices and processes. The organization has already taken strides by making substantial investments in cutting-edge recruitment software and tools, laying the groundwork for improved efficiency and effectiveness. These systems harbor a wealth of data and insights that can be harnessed for metrics and operational monitoring purposes.
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actively bolstering this program through the development of new training modules, a formal certification program, and the expansion of department staff trained to serve as HR Liaisons, all with a keen focus on enhancing recruitment efforts.
Financial investments approved by the City Council have also been significant, with major enhancements to base salary and benefits aimed at bolstering competitiveness within the region. Additionally, Palo Alto boasts a compelling employer brand, characterized by high name recognition and a reputation for creativity and high standards among local agencies. And yet, the high price of housing and living on the peninsula continues to be a constraint in hiring staff.
Key Findings & Recommendations
While acknowledging that there is still considerable work ahead to refine the recruiting system within the City, Palo Alto possesses substantial foundational elements upon which to build. With a commitment to continuous improvement and leveraging its existing strengths, Palo Alto is well-positioned to elevate its recruitment practices and attract top talent to fuel its continued success.
Overall, the key findings show a need to increase strategic management of the recruitment program, build awareness of the City’s job opportunities with the outcome of gaining more qualified applicants, improve communication and information sharing, streamline recruitment processes to gain speed and efficiency, and invest in a talent pipeline. Below are the key findings and high- level recommendations within the following categories. A more detailed Recruitment Strategic Plan further outlines these themes.
1. Strategic Management
2. Data/Dashboard for Decision Making
3. Candidate Awareness, Sourcing & Applications
4. Telling Palo Alto’s Story with Compelling Story Telling
5. Recruitment Process
6. Candidate Experience
7. Build a Talent Pipeline
#1 - Strategic Management
To effectively address the recruitment challenges faced by the City of Palo Alto, active strategic management of
recruitments is imperative. This involves investing in new management capacity and shifting from triage to strategy to develop a master plan for recruitment roll-out and any
additional resource needs. The feedback from department stakeholders is critical to discuss priorities, yet an overall city prioritization is also required with perspectives and direction from Human Resources and the City Manager’s Office. More active strategic oversight will allow Human Resources to leverage expertise to streamline recruitment processes, bundle recruitments for efficiency, and actively manage the recruitment processes upfront. Continued support and commitment from the City Council and City Manager as champions for recruitment initiatives is also paramount.
#2 -- Data/Dashboard for Decision Making
The City of Palo Alto faces significant challenges with data management in its recruitment processes. The data from
NEOGOV’s three modules (the City’s applicant tracking
software) and SAP (the City’s financial systems tracking employee data such as position control, start dates, etc.), though extensive, are not integrated. To create a regular baseline vacancy status report, HR staff are required to perform extensive manual integration and quality control reviews. This manual review and generation of data and reports not only consumes valuable time but also increases the likelihood of errors and decreases the regularity of reporting. Furthermore, the absence of a Human Resource Information System (HRIS) exacerbates the situation, making it difficult to centralize and streamline data management tasks.
Additionally, data inconsistencies and irregularities are quite common due to the high volume of data, staff turnover, and how various departments utilize the applicant tracking software (NEOGOV). Efforts are underway to implement consistent practices and clean up the data; these initiatives are a work in progress. Moreover, the absence of consistent phases and metrics for monitoring progress hampers strategic decision-making by recruitment staff.
The lack of available data makes it difficult to monitor progress and see areas where improvement is needed. Limited availability of critical information also contributes to frustration between HR and departments, hindering communication and effective collaboration.
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The creation of a real-time data Recruitment/Vacancy dashboard for decision- making and communication is crucial. In the long run, this entails addressing integration issues between software systems, and in the short run, an integrated spreadsheet or the implementation of an umbrella Candidate Relationship Manager (CRM) for centralized recruitment management is necessary. Addressing these challenges is essential to improve data integrity, activate data-enabled decision-making, provide regular, real-time communication, and streamline recruitment processes for enhanced efficiency and effectiveness.
#3 -- Candidate Awareness, Sourcing & Applications
Candidate awareness and application rates are crucial
components of a successful recruitment strategy. Currently, Palo Alto advertises positions through public sector job boards, local government professional associations, and the City’s social media platforms, with limited funding available for job advertising. However, in today’s competitive recruiting landscape, investing in active digital and social media marketing is essential for effectively sourcing and targeting candidates.
Finding qualified candidates for open positions presents a significant challenge in public sector recruitment. A recent analysis by NEOGOV, examining 67,000 job applications on GovernmentJobs.com, revealed an average of only 14.3 applicants per job opening. Moreover, among these applicants, only a few possess the necessary qualifications for the role. To address this challenge, recruiters employ two sourcing strategies: active candidate sourcing and passive candidate sourcing. Active sourcing involves engaging with individuals actively seeking employment, while passive sourcing targets those who may not be actively looking but could be open to new opportunities. Utilizing both active and passive candidate sourcing strategies is vital to attract a diverse pool of qualified candidates.
Expanding the candidate pool can be achieved by updating minimum qualifications in job postings to focus more on skills rather than specific degree requirements or prior local government experience. Leveraging alternative candidate pools, such as past applicants, retirees, and veterans, further enhances recruitment success. Palo Alto has found success in creating apprenticeship and internship programs to grow its staff, which should be encouraged to broaden the talent pool and grow top talent.
Lastly, transitioning HR staff from "processors" to empowered "recruiters" is imperative. Providing them with the necessary knowledge and tools to actively market, communicate, and target candidates enhances their effectiveness in attracting top talent.
#4 -- Tell Palo Alto’s Story with Compelling Marketing
Palo Alto has a recognized employer brand of high
expectations and driving for excellence. Yet, the City’s current marketing needs to be crafted with more
compelling content to narrate the "Team Palo Alto" story.
Going forward, there is an opportunity to create captivating City job webpages and produce multimedia marketing
materials that highlight the advantages and prospects of being a part of the City of Palo Alto workforce.
Palo Alto has a full array of services with a breadth of corresponding jobs that could be better profiled to build interest. Currently, the City’s career web pages are informative, but don’t paint an impactful picture and meaningful connection of working for Palo Alto. Developing a recruitment marketing strategy centered on employment branding, including active storytelling extolling Palo Alto’s “why” on the City’s social media sites highlighting employee work and department accomplishments, will support the targeted advertising and candidate sourcing.
#5 -- Recruitment Process
Streamlining and refining the recruitment process is crucial for the City. This involves re-engineering the process to enhance efficiency and accelerate the time-to-hire. One key metric in this endeavor is the "Time to Fill," which measures the duration from the creation of a job requisition to the signing of an offer letter. Palo Alto's "Time to Fill" metric (125 days) is slightly better than the national public sector average of 130 days, but there is room for improvement. Moving with speed to hire is critical to being able to keep candidates through the hiring process in this highly competitive time.
Departments also seek better communication and more speed in processing recruitments. Departments expressed significant frustration with the time elapsed between the selection of a final candidate and the completion of the offer letter process, impacting the determination of start dates. In response to feedback received during the assessment, the Human Resources staff has already implemented some improvements. Specific recommendations for process enhancements are detailed in Appendix A of this report. Capturing data about the different “gates” in the recruitment process to monitor the efficiency of the recruitment process will also be critical including the ability Item 16
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to review this data by department. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to optimize the recruitment process, providing a smoother, faster, and more effective experience for HR, hiring managers, and candidates. #6 -- Candidate Experience
Presently, due to the workload and available tools, active communication with candidates is not consistently delivered.
A “Secret Shopper” test conducted during the study revealed that after receiving an initial email acknowledging receipt of the application, no further communication to the candidate occurred over the next six weeks. In today’s competitive job market, candidates expect active communication and engagement throughout the recruitment process. Without it, they may assume they were not selected and move on to other opportunities.
To attract and retain top talent, it is imperative to treat candidates as valued future employees and provide transparent and supportive interactions throughout the recruitment process. This includes regular updates on the status of their application, timely responses to inquiries, and clear communication about the next steps in the hiring process. By prioritizing the candidate experience, Palo Alto can enhance its reputation as an employer of choice and strengthen its ability to attract and retain top talent.
#7 – Build a Pipeline of Talent
Nurturing talent within local government is essential for the sustainable development and effectiveness of municipalities.
Professional development and growth for current staff is key.
Externally, building awareness of the opportunities available in local government is crucial, as many individuals may not be aware of the diverse range of fulfilling careers that exist within cities. Palo Alo has a strong foundation in place for continued investments in internships, apprenticeships, and partnerships with educational institutions and community organizations. These programs are an excellent way to expose students and professionals to the inner workings of local government and provide them with valuable hands-on experience, especially for Police, Fire, Public Works, and Utilities. This not only benefits the individuals involved but also fosters a continuous pipeline of skilled individuals who are knowledgeable about the specific needs and challenges of their community. Moreover, investing in programs to develop and grow talent locally ensures that municipalities have a pool of skilled professionals who understand the unique dynamics of the area.
Conclusion
This assessment of Palo Alto’s recruitment program provides findings, data, and thirty-one recommendations for a Recruitment Strategic Plan. With additional investment and expertise, Palo Alto can upgrade its recruitment operation in the short run and transform it, in the long run, to reel in excellent employees to support high-quality services to its community.
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SECTION 2 - TRENDS AND CURRENT LANDSCAPE
RECRUITMENT TRENDS
Hiring and retaining high-performing public agency employees in 2023 is extremely challenging, especially in the hyper-competitive Bay Area job market. The “Great Resignation” of the pandemic was actually a “great re-evaluation” of work which has forever changed how we work and how we think about our careers and lives.
Faced with this, many public employers are struggling to retain and hire key staff for important positions. The City of Palo Alto is no exception. Below are key data points with the majority from NEOGOV’s report, “2023 The Quiet Crisis in the Public Sector”.
RECRUITMENT & DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS
Long-term trends, including aging populations, the increasing participation of Gen Z in the workforce, greater workforce diversity, and the rise of hybrid and remote work, are transforming recruiting needs and labor pools for government services. (McKinsey & Company) 55% decrease in the number of
applicants per public sector job since
2019.
78% increase in the number of public
sector job openings since 2020.
On average nationally, local
government recruitments are
receiving an average of 14.3
applications per job opening.
Most difficult public sector jobs to fill
nationally: law enforcement,
engineering & planning,
trades/utilities, information
technology.
CANDIDATES’ VIEWS
80% of job seekers expect the
application process to take no more
than 30 minutes.
Candidates want career development and flexible career pathways. By the day after a candidate submits an application, 60% expect to receive an automated email, 27% expect a personal email, and 11% a phone call. A total of 73% said they assume they have been rejected (and will look elsewhere) if they don’t receive an update within two weeks after they apply. Candidates are seeking flexible work schedules and the ability to work hybrid.
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CURRENT LANDSCAPE – CURRENT METRICS
Metrics and consistent measurements of phases of the recruitment process are important to be able to track Palo Alto’s progress over time and for potential comparison to other organizations as well. There are two key metrics that Palo Alto currently tracks: (1) Time to Fill and (2) Time to Hire. As outlined below, these metrics need review and refinement. More information and recommendations regarding metrics are found later in the report.
TIME TO FILL METRIC -- The “Time to Fill” metric starts from the moment an agency decides to hire for a position — that is, the moment a job requisition is created and approved for a recruitment to begin and is completed at the time that an offer letter is signed. It tells an organization of the amount of time that it takes to fill a position from beginning to job offer. NEOGOV and Palo Alto measure this time frame the same (see chart on next page). Table A shows NEOGOV’s 2020 national data of Time to Fill averages for different sectors. Palo Alto’s Time to Fill metric is slightly better at 125 days than the national public sector average of 130 days. However, the hiring speed of the private sector is substantially less at 36 days on average nationally. Hiring speed is a critical area of improvement for all local agencies including Palo Alto.
TIME TO HIRE METRIC -- The “Time to Hire” measurement is slightly narrower than the “Time to Fill”. The Time to Hire” focuses on from the time the job is publicly opened with some variations. For Palo Alto, the HR Department tracks “Time to Hire” from the time that the job is posted to the actual start date.
Table B shows the City’s historical performance of “Time to Hire” as outlined as “Key Performance Measurements” in the annual budget. Not surprisingly, the Time to Hire metric for Palo Alto has increased since 2021 as the City has experienced higher turnover, new positions, and restoration of positions in response to the pandemic’s economic and societal shifts.
TABLE A - TIME TO FILL METRIC
2020 NEOGOV Industry Averages
Source: NEOGOV Time to Hire Report 2020 [Link]
Local Governments 130 days
PALO ALTO - CURRENT 125 days
Educational institutions 119 days
State Governments 96 days
Private Sector 36 days
TABLE B - TIME TO HIRE METRIC
Palo Alto Budget - History Key
Performance Measurements
2018 - Actuals 103 days
2019 - Actuals 98 days
2020 - Actuals 99 days
2021 - Actuals 85 days
2022 - Actual 101 days
2023 - Benchmark 110 days
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CURRENT LANDSCAPE – PALO ALTO STAFFING
Citywide Staffing History
The City’s staffing levels have fluctuated greatly during the last four years while the organization navigated the economic changes brought on by the pandemic. The chart below provides a summary of key events and staffing changes over the past 5 years and how these implications have impacted new positions and recruitment workload for HR. It is important to note that the work for HR in public agencies dramatically increased with the arrival of COVID-19 and the implementation of various pandemic impacts. This created a perfect storm for HR. Palo Alto HR leadership and staff focused on responding to COVID safety protocols and remote work for employees, concession bargaining, position freezes, and layoffs. As the City emerged from the height of the pandemic, new negotiations were completed that focused on major retention investments in salary and benefits, plus the scoping and hiring of new employees as the organization began to rebuild services and associated staffing levels.
Recruiting is still impacted by peak workloads of new positions due to the City’s restoration budgets of the last two years. While positions have been approved, the new positions have not all been filled at this time. With the separation of employees and new positions approved, there are also internal promotions occurring which fills one position and then creates a new vacancy. This is the domino effect that happens in recruiting. From the four years of FY 19/20 to FY 22/23, the City was also experiencing significant employee separations, retirements, or layoffs. Currently, the separations for full-time staff are stabilizing lower which is probably partly due to new contracts and compensation approved in June 2023.
FY 19/20 FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24
Key Milestones /
Events
March 2020
Pandemic Hits
HR implements
health orders
$39M General Fund
reduction
Froze positions; HR
led layoff notices &
bumping
HR negotiated COLA
deferrals & furlough
for management
Eliminated vacant
frozen positions;
layoffs continued.
HR enforcing COVID
& vaccination rules.
HR develops return-
to-work guidelines
Entire Recruitment
Team turns over.
First restorative
budget for the City.
Added back
positions.
Reinvestment in
services continues;
add back positions.
Negotiations to
above median
market placement.
HR Recruitment
Team nearly fully
staffed – 02/2024.
# of City Staff
(FTE)
1,034 1,034 956 1,018 1,063
Reductions in Staff 0 Froze 76 positions 78.85 2 2
New Positions
0 0 20 63.85 47.25 FT
9.84 PT
Employee Separations
(Full-time Staff)
82 98 113 90 33
Employee Separations
(Part-time Staff)
120 64 86 85 70
Overall New Hires 169 78 228 227 126
Source: Data provided by HR Staff
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HR & Recruitment Staffing
While facing increased recruitment needs, the HR Department experienced loss of its recruitment staff. (From our work with other public agencies, turnover in HR and specifically in recruitment divisions has been trying, but sadly a common situation in the last few years.) The City’s Chief People Officer retired in June 2022 and the Assistant HR Director was promoted. The Assistant Director position was vacant 60% of the time from June 2022 to October 2023. This loss of management capacity created overall workload impacts and time delays. In the last 5 years, 63% of HR Department employees that separated from City service were from the Recruitment/Selection Division. The entire Recruitment/Selection Division
turned over between June 2021 and
December 2021. Today, the Recruitment
Division is almost completely staffed. To
augment staffing, the department has
brought on outside recruiters and part-
time staff to add capacity and assist with
the workload.
A key recruitment position has been
vacant since July 2021 (after numerous
failed recruitments) and was just filled in
February 2024.
While the new team is characterized by
positivity and hard work, they lack
extensive and seasoned experience in
recruitments. To enhance the credibility
and validity of the division's efforts, there
is a pressing need for increased high-level HR recruitment expertise and management oversight.
Human Resource Liaison Program
In the Fall of 2021, HR created a Human Resources Liaison (HRL) program to expedite hiring by formally utilizing/partnering with department staff to work on recruitments in conjunction with HR. The pilot program was from November 2021 to March 2022 and the full citywide rollout from March 2022 to December 2022.
The initial program with eleven (11) HRLs helped reduce recruitment process time by about 30%. Since that time, the HRL program has suffered due to the loss of recruitment management staff to provide oversight, direction, and management plus staff turnover in departments.
The HRL program, while developed as the right concept and approach to recruitment services, continues to operate in its infancy and building stage. It is also important to note that the HRL program takes management oversight, training, and active partnership and engagement from centralized senior recruitment staff. A new certification program underway by HR will provide different levels of trained HRLs to provide greater empowerment to departments and better clarity for the sharing of roles and responsibilities related to recruitments between central HR and the departmental HRLs.
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HISTORY & CURRENT STATUS – VACANCIES
The City’s vacancy rate and vacant number of positions have not returned to pre-pandemic patterns at this time. This is not surprising since the City has added significant new positions in the last two fiscal years to rebuild service levels and staffing while employees were still exiting the workforce. Below are charts showing the history of vacancies, vacancy rate, and employee separations.
Key Points from Vacancy Charts
Vacancy rates are beginning to recover from the high years of 2021 and 2022; however, Palo Alto has not returned to pre- pandemic vacancy or recruitment times.
HR staff reported that the lowest historical vacancy rate for Palo Alto was 10%.
Employee retention rates are higher; for the first six months of FY 23/24, there have only been 33 separations, a trending reduction for the year.
Part-time Employees
The City currently has 506 part-time positions totaling 99.58 FTEs.
During the 2021 reduction in force, a large portion of the City’s part-time positions were eliminated. As the City has built back operations (reopening libraries and recreational facilities), this part-time workforce is being brought back. This also represents a significant impact on recruitment operations. While the departments with large part-time staff (Community Services and Library Services), assist with these recruitments, this rebuild plus routine seasonal hiring creates additional work for the HR Recruitment Team. HR staff reported that hiring seasonal staff in 2023 was particularly challenging.
12% 13% 11%
17% 16% 14% 13.7%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
July 2018 July 2019 July 2020 July 2021 July 2022 July 2023 Jan 2024 Vacancy Rate - History
123.35 130.5 116.25
174 161.75
136 146.5
0 50
100
150
200
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Jan 2024
Vacant Positions - History
FY 19/20 FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 YTD
Separations 82 98 113 90 33
New Hires 88 41 100 133 60
0 20
40 60
80 100
120
140
5-year History of Employee Separations
FT REGULAR EMPLOYEES - Separations & New Hires
Separations New Hires
10% is historically the lowest vacancy rate in Palo Alto.
Partial Year Partial Year
Partial Year
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January 2024 Data -- Vacant Positions By Departments
As of January 2024, the vacancy rate for the City was 13.7% with 146.5 vacant positions. Yet, the overall City vacancy rate can hide vacancy impacts being faced by individual departments. While generally the focus for recruitment priorities should be placed on those departments with higher vacancy rates, it is also important to understand the deeper operational needs of specific positions that may also need to be reviewed. Clear and regular recruitment strategy sessions need to be held to determine which positions are important to departments to fill and which positions are important to the City overall rather than “first in and first out”.
VACANCY INFORMATION BY DEPARTMENT – FULL-TIME POSITIONS (January 2024 data)*pending final review
FTE COUNT &
VACANCY RATE
VACANT POSITION
PROFILE
RECRUITMENT STATUS
OF VACANT POSITIONS
Department
Total FTE
(FY 23/24
Budget)
Vacancy
Rate
Full-Time
New FT
Positions
FY 23/24
Current FT
Vacant
Positions
Total FT
Vacant
Positions
Requisition In
Progress/Open
Recruitment
Position
Filled
Requisition
Not
Submitted*
Administrative Services 57.5 12% 1 6 7 1 2 4
City Attorney’s Office 13.0 8% 0 1 1 1 0 0
City Clerk's Office 5.0 40% 0 2 2 1 0 1
City Manager’s Office 13.8 13% 0 1.75 1.75 1 0 0.75
Community Services 79.9 4% 2.75 0 2.75 1 0 1.75
Fire 110.0 13% 2 12 14 4 0 10
Human Resources 19.0 16% 2 1 3 2 1 0
Information Technology 34.0 9% 2 1 3 0 0 3
Library Services 49.0 16% 4 4 8 3 0 5
Office of Transportation 15.0 27% 2 2 4 0 0 4
Planning & Development 59.0 14% 3 5 8 2 5 1
Police 144.0 13% 5 13 18 15 0 3
Public Works 206.0 17% 4 30 34 19 0 15
Utilities 258.0 16% 2 38 40 15 2 23
TOTAL 1063.2 13.7% 29.75
20%
116.5
80%
146.5
100%
65 44%
10 7%
71.5 49%
13.7% is the City Vacancy Rate as of January 2024.
20% of vacant positions are new positions added to the budget in July ( FY 23/24 budget). The restoration of positions is adding to the recruitment workload. 43% of Departments are experiencing a vacancy rate of over 15% which creates larger impacts on services, morale, and productivity. 44% of the vacant positions are currently being recruited for by the HR Team and HRLs. 49% of the vacant positions are in a stage of “No Requisition Submitted” which means that departments have not been requested to start the recruitment process. There are a variety of reasons why the requisition has not been submitted. For example, a department may be underfilling a position, analyzing whether to restructure a vacant position, engaging in meet and confer with labor, utilizing part-time workers on an interim basis to perform the work, or re-purposing labor costs for other alternative staffing strategies such as the use of temporary employees or consulting services. Also, a department may be keeping a position vacant for salary savings. Through this assessment and report creation, the HR team found data inconsistencies which are currently being resolved. T his report shows the current state of data prior to implementation of go - forward fixes.
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APPLICATION & RECRUITMENT DATA
January of 2023 started very strong with the highest number of applications due to the annual recruitment for the Firefighter/EMT resulting in 522 applications.
The application numbers for February through June of 2023 were lower than in 2022 but became stronger in the second half of the calendar year. For 2022, the City had 8,278 total applications
for regular positions, and in
2023, the number decreased
slightly to 8,045 - a 3%
reduction.
A more detailed look at
applications in 2023 shows a
total of 10,075 applications
comprised of 8,045 applications
for regular/full-time positions
and 2,030 applications for part-
time and seasonal recruitments.
Yet, as staff reviews
applications for completeness,
meeting minimum
qualifications, and sorting to
those that are most qualified, the application pool shrinks dramatically from 8,045 to 3,515 (43%). This is a natural vetting process, yet it means that more applications are required to find qualified candidates.
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Positions Recruited For
In the year 2023, there were 157 full-time positions filled through recruitments. However, this number is
underrepresented. Multiple postings of the same position (including unsuccessful recruitments) are not listed
separately and are therefore invisible. With frequency, a position is posted and then reopened when not enough
qualified candidates are secured. This creates double
work for Human Resources and the departments and
extends the timeline and vacancy impacts in the City. The data for multiple postings is not present at this time. (The City also does not utilize eligibility lists so each vacant position requires a new recruitment.)
Utilities is the largest recruitment customer with 53
recruitments (34%).
Applications Received by Department
In the year 2023, there were 8,045 applications submitted for full-time positions. Utilities received 2,138 applications representing 27% of the City’s total applications.
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Minimal Applications Received by Departments
The overall number of applications received is an initial lens to review recruitment activity, but the most important question is how many of the applications were deemed qualified for consideration and inclusion in an assessment/interview process. How much choice did the hiring departments have? The numbers become more revealing with this analysis.
47% of the recruitment had less than 10 “qualified” applications. 63% of the recruitments had less than 15 “qualified” applications.
All City departments could use more qualified applications to choose from for future employees. The chart below shows the most impacted departments. Overall, there is a need for greater marketing and advertising to help locate more qualified candidates for consideration by departments to join Team Palo Alto.
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SECTION 3 – FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Recruitment processes have evolved significantly in the last 15 years, leveraging technology to streamline operations and enhance candidate experiences.
Automated applicant tracking systems reduce the manual workload for recruiters. Moreover, the proliferation of online platforms and social media networks enables recruiters to reach a broader pool of candidates, fostering diversity and inclusion. Additionally, the adoption of video interviewing tools facilitates remote assessments, enabling recruiters to evaluate candidates regardless of geographical and timing constraints. These advancements not only expedite the hiring process but also promote transparency and accessibility, and ultimately result in better matches between candidates and employers.
Efficient and effective recruitment processes are crucial because filling vacancies promptly is essential. Through MRG's analysis and from discussions with HR and various departments, examples of success and areas for enhancements were identified. Prolonged timelines and communication disconnections between HR and line departments are causing frustration and inefficiencies. Overall, prioritizing strategy, efficiency, flexibility, active management, and empowerment within the recruitment process can address these concerns.
WORKING WELL
Recruitment Staff
New HR recruitment staff brings fresh perspectives, dedication, and positive energy to the recruitment arena. Central HR staff and HR Liaison recruiters take genuine pleasure in meeting candidates, investing time to truly understand them and support their application process. The HR Liaison program is invaluable, though additional staffing would optimize its effectiveness. Departments are seeking more training, support, and empowerment for the Liaisons. Currently, Departments are adding more HRLs and HR has launched a more comprehensive training program with different levels of differentiation and expertise which will then be linked with greater authority and responsibility. The Recruitment/Selection team has fostered a culture of creative innovation. They experiment with new ideas and tools, like HireVue, which have proven successful. Occasionally, trial programs may be less successful, as seen with the LinkedIn advertising pilot in 2017, which yielded few candidates and no hires. This culture of experimentation and entrepreneurship is vital in the ever-changing recruitment landscape.
Technology & Tools
Tools like HireVue (on-demand candidate interviews) streamline the interview process by allowing candidates to record their answers to questions and then individual assessors can review the interview asynchronously. Palo Alto has embraced a digital cloud application tracking system with best practice components through NEOGOV which facilitates administrative tasks and recruitment processing. This digital system automatically posts jobs on numerous job boards. The City has creatively leveraged NEOGOV’s modules to create digital interview packets. Through NEOGOV’s OnBoard module, E-offers and paper requirements are gathered and processed digitally. Palo Alto has completely shifted to a paperless recruitment process.
Marketing & Branding
Many public agencies continue to post complete job descriptions as their “advertisement” for open jobs. Public agency job descriptions are quite lengthy and not inviting to candidates. Several years ago, Palo Alto moved to creating more enticing job postings. Departments help create a summary of the key aspects of the position including ideal candidate descriptions and the “why” of what makes the position enticing. The job postings are branded with Palo Alto’s colors and themes as well.
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Communications staff has supported the recruitment team in various ways including creating graphics and posting information about jobs on the City’s social media sites, pushing career information and jobs through a Motivation Monday series on LinkedIn, and highlighting jobs in the City’s weekly Uplift Local newsletter to promote new postings or listings that are closing soon.
Investment in Compensation & Benefits
The City strengthened its pay by shifting the compensation structure to above-median market placement for salaries.
Based on this shift, a number of classifications received a 10-20% shift in pay. Approved 4% COLAs for FY 23/24 and FY 24/25.
Investments have been made in enhancing benefits (both flexibility and value) including (1) allowing employees to take compensation increases for healthcare to decrease their premium contributions or to increase their monthly pay, (2) implementing paid parental leave for 6 weeks; (3) piloting a childcare subsidy program with City contribution of $5,000 per year, and (4) piloting opportunity for Palo Alto employees to enroll their children in Palo Alto Unified School District. By recognizing the shift to a more mobile workforce, the City now offers (1) remote work offered for 3 days/week as standard if applicable for the position; (2) alternative work schedules with 9/80 as a norm, and (3) 4/10 schedule available for maintenance and other staff through a review process.
KEY FINDINGS - OVERALL
KEY FINDING #1
Need to boost the new HR
Team’s management support,
capacity & capabilities.
KEY FINDING #2
Shift from general marketing
to active advertising &
candidate sourcing.
KEY FINDING #3
Streamline processes and improve
data/reporting for greater
efficiency & effectiveness.
KEY FINDING #4
Continue strategic initiatives to
build employee pipeline &
opportunities.
Need more strategy and
management for leadership of the
recruitment program. Add
Recruitment Division Manager.
Using City social media feeds and
standard job board posting. Need
more qualified and interested
candidates to apply for positions.
Need more communication with
departments as business partners and
engagement with candidates for
improved hiring experience.
Review hiring requirements; shift
to more skills based hiring versus
degree and local government
experience.
HR Recruitment Team is just
returning to full capacity.
Committed and caring HR Team;
growing in their experience.
Minimal direct advertising for
positions and minimal active
candidate sourcing. Customer
communication & experience can be
improved.
Streamline recruitment process; front
load critical path decisions; re-
engineer with cross-functional Talent
Strike Teams. Constantly evaluate,
iterate, and improve.
Continue to foster internship and
fellowship programs to build a
pipeline for students to enter a
local government career.
HR Liaison Program is the right
concept; still in its infancy &
rebuilding.
Need more compelling sites and
content to tell Palo Alto's story as an
Employer of Choice.
Strong software platforms in place;
need better integration & data for
management decision-making.
Build additional apprenticeship
programs and partner with junior
colleges and universities.
Add active marketing expertise to
the HR Team; add data analytical
support in HR.
No systems or infrastructure in place
for active advertising and candidate
sourcing. Will need to build systems
and content.
Limited metrics and
key performance indicators
to monitor progress and
adjust for improvements.
Build local outreach programs for
positions requiring more career
technical backgrounds.
Above median
market for
salaries
Flexible
Benefits
Remote Work
Options
9/80 & 4/10
Work
Schedules
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DETAILED FINDINGS - RECRUITMENT PROCESS & SYSTEMS
After a comprehensive review of the City’s recruitment processes and systems, the following overall areas of improvement are recommended:
1. Candidate Experience 7. Recruitment Management Expertise
2. Hiring Manager/Department Communication & Partnership 8. Recruitment Metrics
3. Branding as Employer of Choice 9. Internships, Apprenticeships & Partnerships
4. Software & Tools 10. Screen for Skills not Requirements
5. Recruitment Dashboards & Data Integration 11. MOU Process Constraints
6. Human Resources Liaison Program 12. Recruitment Process Improvements
1. Candidate Experience: Today’s candidates have high expectations for active and authentic communication. Too long of a wait with no communication and the candidate assumes that the position isn’t available or there isn’t interest in their application … and they move on. The consultant team submitted a “secret shopper” applicant in two recruitments (Equipment Maintenance Serviceperson in Public Works and Water Quality Plant Operator I / Operator Trainee in Utilities) to gain an understanding of a candidate’s experience. Below are the results with more information in Appendix D.
Secret Shopper Analysis
Positive Aspects of the Application Process:
Easy job discovery on the website.
Seamless website navigation.
Clear and accessible HR contact information.
Transparent salary information is presented
prominently at the top.
Well-defined expectations for the job outlined.
Receipt of a well-structured confirmation email
of application received.
Appreciation for the immediate follow-up in the
application process.
Recommendations for Improvement:
Improve active communication with candidates. Since the first email stating receipt of the application on 12/19/2023, no additional emails have been received as of the end of January. Enhance the prominence of the benefits section on the website. Include links in the job posting for additional information and explanations. Provide further clarification on items that require more explanation, such as work schedule and PERS retirement.
Add specific guidance for out-of-state applicants or those who need to travel for the position. Ensure consistent placement of contact information on every page for easy access to inquiries.
Integrate a more detailed timeline of the hiring process for applicants' better understanding.
Providing a high level of candidate communication and engagement requires dedicated time and a strategic approach from recruiters. Traditionally, local government agencies focused solely on selected candidates, neglecting communication with those not chosen to save time and mitigate liability. Unfortunately, this approach misses valuable opportunities. Viewing each applicant as a potential future employee, regardless of selection for a specific role, allows the city to cultivate interest in future opportunities and establish a following of candidates interested in working for Palo Alto. As Maya Angelou's quote emphasizes, it's about how you make people feel and this is a critical component for successful employee recruiting. This marks the initial step in transforming candidates into future employees.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou
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2. Hiring Manager / Department Communication & Partnership: Departments expressed a strong desire for improved communication and engagement, particularly with the Hiring Manager, at earlier stages and throughout the recruitment process. Some management personnel are accustomed to regular recruitment and comprehend the process well. Conversely, other hiring managers may only recruit sporadically, perhaps once a year. A best practice involves involving the hiring manager early in the process to discuss the procedure, roles, responsibilities, and expectations. Strategic discussions upfront regarding outreach strategies, targeted marketing ideas, panel composition, timeline, and desired candidate profile are all essential components. More consistent updates and an easy to review recruitment dashboard with details by departments is needed to improve communication and the partnership between HR and the departments.
3. Branding as Employer of Choice: Establishing a robust employer brand is crucial for attracting top talent. Palo Alto possesses distinct and compelling assets that can be actively marketed to potential employees. While the City enjoys name recognition and a strong reputation, it remains vital to convey why Palo Alto stands out as an Employer of Choice in a captivating, contemporary, and compelling manner. Additional focus and marketing efforts are necessary to articulate why candidates should aspire to join the Palo Alto team.
4. Software & Tools: The HR Team utilizes three main modules within NEOGOV, a comprehensive cloud-based software, for recruitment processes. Firstly, "Insight" serves as NEOGOV's applicant tracking system, enabling HR staff to efficiently screen candidates and maintain active communication throughout the process. Secondly, the "Online Hiring Center" (OHC) empowers department users to create, approve, and manage requisitions, as well as review and screen application materials. HR has adeptly utilized the OHC to generate comprehensive digital interview packets for assessors and candidate information. Lastly, "OnBoard" facilitates the creation of personalized onboard portals, digital paperwork submissions for new hires, and task checklists with automated reminders to streamline onboarding processes. While these modules provide robust functionality, additional features from NEOGOV may further enhance recruitment efforts. For instance, the "Attract" module offers a customer relationship management system to automate recruiting communications and source candidates from past hiring cycles, events, and social media. Additionally, "Analytics & Reporting" which was updated in January 2023 provides comprehensive management reporting, although Palo Alto staff requires more training to fully utilize this module.
Additional training by NEOGOV can ensure optimal utilization of all of the software's capabilities.
5. Recruitment Dashboards & Data Integration: The absence of an easy-to-access, current, and centralized master recruitment dashboard in Palo Alto is causing communication issues and frustrations within the organization. An overall recruitment dashboard serves as a centralized tool for tracking and managing the various stages of the recruitment process, including candidate status, hand-offs between different stakeholders, and the progression of recruitments through different phases. This communication gap is primarily due to the lack of integration between the City's Applicant Tracking System (NEOGOV) and its financial system (SAP), which houses position control, hiring, and payroll data. There are also some data issues between NEOGOV’s modules. Currently, creating a current recruitment vacancy report entails extensive cross-referencing of data from both systems by HR staff, often involving redundant entries and position and vacancy verifications. Compounding this issue is the absence of a Human Resources Information System (HRIS), which would typically integrate with NEOGOV, thereby facilitating seamless data flow between systems. Addressing the challenges posed by data integration issues and the absence of management reports is crucial.
The City anticipates incorporating an HRIS into its upcoming finance system overhaul, slated to commence within the next year. However, based on MRG's experience, such upgrades are intricate, time-consuming endeavors that may take several years to fully implement. Therefore, there is an immediate need for an interim solution to enhance management information and recruitment data accessibility across the organization, including central HR, line departments, the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), the City Manager's Office, and the City Council.
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6. Human Resource Liaison Program: The HRL program acts as a conduit between HR and line departments, aiming to offer additional recruitment support, establish communication channels, and facilitate smoother recruitment and onboarding processes for new hires. Initiated by HR in 2022, the program is undergoing a renewed investment phase. Below are ideas generated during the interview process, with many already in progress:
Invest in Continued Formalized Training for HRLs: Providing ongoing formal training for Human Resources Liaisons (HRLs) is crucial to ensure they possess the necessary skills and knowledge. HR has recently launched a new HRL certification program. Enhance Communication and Coordination: Strengthen communication and coordination between HR and HRLs to promote collaboration and efficiency. Regular gatherings for HRLs can foster camaraderie and knowledge sharing, with meetings held weekly to review and prioritize recruitments, enabling ongoing discussions on recruitment handling at the departmental level. Utilize HR Staff Expertise: Leverage HR staff expertise for hard-to-fill or unique positions requiring specialized oversight. HR can also take the lead on positions spanning multiple departments to optimize economies of scale and efficiency. Create Recruitment Guides: Enhance HRLs' retention and application of knowledge by providing training materials such as user-friendly scripts, short videos, and one-page cheat sheets derived from the extensive Recruitment Guidebook.
7. Recruitment Management Expertise: Adding a Recruitment Division Manager position would significantly enhance the strategic management and effectiveness of the recruitment process. This role would offer expertise, strategic direction, and mentorship vital for navigating the intricacies of modern recruiting. By closely collaborating with department heads and hiring managers, the manager can discern specific hiring needs, tailor recruitment strategies accordingly, and offer guidance on talent acquisition strategies. Additionally, the Manager would provide strategic leadership in devising and executing innovative recruitment initiatives, leveraging their expertise in recruitment trends and technologies to attract top talent effectively. Beyond strategic duties, the Recruitment Division Manager would play a pivotal role in mentoring and developing the recruitment team. Ensuring staff members are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their roles, the Manager would provide training on recruitment best practices, conduct performance evaluations, and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the division and among Human Resource Liaisons.
8. Recruitment Metrics: Tracking retention and turnover rates, vacancy rates, and key performance indicators (KPIs) is vital for evaluating recruitment effectiveness and overall HR performance. Establishing specific recruitment-related metrics like time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, and candidate experience allows HR teams to assess performance objectively and identify areas for enhancement. Increasing awareness of these metrics among HR staff and stakeholders promotes transparency and informed decision-making, fostering continuous improvement in recruitment processes. By proactively monitoring and addressing key metrics, organizations can optimize recruitment strategies, reduce turnover, and elevate HR performance. Below are typical recruitment metrics.
METRICS DESCRIPTION
Application Completion Rate % of candidates that complete the application process.
Applications per Job Posting # of applications per job posting Time-to-Hire Days from job posting to start date.
Time-to- Fill Days from opening a requisition for a position, determining recruitment strategy, marketing, to acceptance of offer.
Ad-Cost-to-Hire Expenditure per recruitment spent on advertising and outreach.
Source of Hire Source of where the candidate learned about the recruitment.
Candidate Experience Feedback and survey of candidates through the recruitment process.
Offer Acceptance Rate # of candidates that accept an employment offer.
First-Year Attrition Rate # of employees that leave during their first year of service.
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9. Internships, Apprenticeships & Partnerships: Palo Alto boasts a rich tradition of fruitful internship programs, a key strategy for attracting and nurturing talent while providing practical experience. These programs also serve as a valuable pipeline for potential future hires. Additionally, Palo Alto has cultivated successful apprenticeships, which present opportunities for further enhancement and expansion. Strengthening partnerships with colleges and universities is instrumental in accessing emerging talent pools, facilitating focused recruitment endeavors, and ensuring a consistent stream of qualified candidates. It will be important to support these programs to continue to build Palo Alto’s talent pipeline.
10. Screen for Skills Not Requirements: Traditionally, many local government jobs have specific requirements such as degrees, supervision, and local government experience. With today’s talent pipeline, there is the need and opportunity to consider candidates who may not possess all desired qualifications but demonstrate strong fundamental skills, the right attitude, and general aptitude, plus a willingness to learn. By screening our applicant pools differently, we can broaden the candidate pool and uncover hidden potential, ultimately contributing to a more diverse and dynamic workforce.
11. MOU Process Constraints: Several items in Palo Alto’s Memorandum of Understandings (MOU) constrain flexibility and slow down the recruitment timeline.
Below are some of the MOU parameters that were mentioned by staff. It is important to note that HR staff has tried to negotiate some of these items in the past without success.
10-day Posting Requirement – The SEIU MOU requires a 10-day posting of any position. Internal Candidate Review First – The SEIU MOU requires interviews of internal candidates first if three or more candidates meet the minimal qualifications. Based on this rule, the City is unable to begin the review of the external candidates until the internal interviews have been completed.
Traditionally, this MOU parameter has been interpreted as HR being expected to conduct separate recruitments for each vacancy. Recently, HR was able to bundle recruitments together for faster processing and greater marketing. This is a standard practice in many local agencies. SEIU Members on Interview Panels – The SEIU MOU requires a represented employee to sit on an interview panel if a panel interview format is being used. At times, Human Resources has found it difficult to schedule SEIU representatives which causes delays. Flexible Staffed & Underfilled Positions – The SEIU MOU requires the City to conduct recruitments for flexibly-staffed and underfilled positions, despite having incumbents in the role for some time and thus, meeting the minimum qualifications of the position. Typically, flexible staff positions are used to designate classifications in a promotional series in which both the entry and journey-level classes are assigned the same kinds of duties, the difference being the range of duties performed, the level of skill required, and the amount of supervision received. Flexible staffing allows departments to hire at the lower-level class in the series, provide on-the-job training, and promote to the next higher level in the series through a non-competitive certification process once the full range of duties is being performed. This is a standard practice in many local agencies.
12. Recruitment Process Improvements: Streamlining the various phases of the recruitment process is paramount. As the quote from Boston Consulting Group below states, the recruitment process needs to be simplified with a focus on the candidate. There are numerous specific suggestions to improve the recruitment process outlined in Appendix A.
Our data indicates that candidates' perceptions during the recruitment process significantly impact their decisions. However, many companies still treat recruitment primarily as a corporate procedure, tailored to administrative needs and outdated systems, rather than prioritizing a positive experience for potential employees. Leading employers adopt a zero-based process design, simplifying the process to essential steps and emphasizing the value for the candidate. -Boston Consulting Group
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FINDINGS – MARKETING & OUTREACH
Currently, the City of Palo Alto practices a traditional local government marketing approach.
Positions are posted on “GovernmentJobs.com” through NEOGOV as the City’s job board -- the number one public sector job board in the nation. The Communications Teams posts information about jobs on the City’s social media sites including a Motivation Monday series on LinkedIn. Job listings are included in the City’s weekly Uplift Local newsletter to highlight new postings or listings that are closing soon. City Hall lobby screens are actively promoting “we are hiring” messages. Departments utilize professional associations and networks to spread the word about open positions. At this time, limited funding exists to purchase social media advertising or other advertisements. Executive recruitment firms are hired to help market, headhunt, and review candidates at the executive level (Assistant Director, Director, etc.) with separate marketing budgets.
In today’s tough talent market, active marketing strategies utilizing digital platforms, modern algorithms, and intentional social media strategies to reach candidates are critical to deliver effective talent outreach efforts. For this study, we have evaluated three key components of marketing and outreach in the talent recruitment arena:
1 - Recruiting Strategy
By combining targeted digital advertising with effective candidate sourcing strategies, organizations can effectively attract, engage, and hire top talent, ultimately contributing to their success. The primary objective of any recruiting strategy is to attract a large number of leads to develop a top-tier talent pool. Leads encompass individuals who have demonstrated interest in the organization through various actions such as participating in talent networking events, visiting the career site, or engaging with existing employees. Through an active digital talent campaign, an employer can turn leads into candidates; candidates into applicants, and finally employees to join the team. The graphic to the right illustrates a recruiting strategy process. 2 - Employer Branding
Branding involves shaping and promoting an organization's reputation and identity as an employer. Overall, effective employer branding creates a compelling narrative that resonates with potential candidates, differentiates the organization from competitors, and ultimately helps attract, engage, and retain top talent. To understand Palo Alto’s employer branding, the consultant team reviewed the City’s Career web pages/sites and social media presence. 1 - Recruiting Strategy 2 - Employer Branding 3 - Targeted Advertising & Candidate Sourcing
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Career Web Pages & Sites
The City’s job opportunities website (https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Human- Resources/Palo-Alto-Careers) is the central location or hub for all of the City’s digital marketing campaigns. In Palo Alto, this is called “Careers with the City of Palo Alto”. This is the main location that candidates can go to to learn more about the City as an employer. The image to the right shows the current career pages which are clear, traditional, and informational, but not compelling in way to tell the Palo Alto story of being an “Employer of Choice”. The following public agencies can be used as examples that showcase a more persuasive style of candidate attraction:
City of Roseville – Strong primary “Job Opportunities” page with visuals, video, employee profile, an approachable and culture-themed message from the City Manager, and helpful tips for applying. [Link]
NASA – Site has strong design, compelling story and content explaining the “why” to join NASA as an employee. The site highlights types of positions, benefits, and culture and provides a pleasing interface for viewers. [Career Page Link / 5 Reasons Link]
Social Media SWOT Assessment
The consultants reviewed the City’s social media accounts to gain an understanding of the City’s social media outreach and its impact on Employer Branding. A general SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis was performed in addition to a comparison of other agencies’ platforms. Greater detail can be found in Appendix C. The City’s social media platforms are reaching numerous audiences including candidates and future employees. In general, there is the opportunity to bring more human elements, employee stories, illustrations of department accomplishments, and a more informal friendly voice to the City’s social media conversations.
Current -- City of Palo Alto’s Candidates by Top Sources The City’s candidate sources are in the graph to the right. This shows that a majority of candidates come from the City’s Career Page, signifying that most applicants come from organic traffic. The second is GovernmentJobs.Com which is the public sector jobs board that NEOGOV’s applicant tracking system uses to post to. The third top source is Indeed, which is the first top source that does not solely depend on the candidate to find the job on the City of Palo Alto’s main webpage.
Data: NEOGOV Analytics dashboard provided by the City of Palo Alto
Targeted Advertising & Candidate Sourcing
Targeted digital advertising and candidate sourcing in hiring involve leveraging various online platforms and tools to reach potential job candidates who possess the desired skills and qualifications for a particular position. Here's how it typically works:
1. Identifying Target Audience: The first step is to clearly define the target audience or the ideal candidate profile for the job opening. This includes factors such as skills, experience, education, location, and any other relevant criteria.
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2. Creating Job Advertisements & Landing Pages: Once the target audience is defined, recruiters or hiring managers create compelling job advertisements highlighting the job role, responsibilities, qualifications, and benefits. These advertisements can be in the form of text, images, videos, or a combination of these, depending on the platform and audience. In addition, focused landing pages are built for a department or a series of jobs to have a compelling site with rich content and enticing images.
3. Selecting Digital Platforms: There are various online platforms where job advertisements can be posted to reach potential candidates, including job boards, social media platforms (such as Google, Facebook, Indeed), professional networking sites, and industry-specific forums or websites.
Recruiters choose platforms based on where their target audience is likely to be present. Today’s candidates are also actively applying for jobs from their phones. There are automated tools to actively engage with candidates via their phone and texts as they learn more about the job.
4. Utilizing Targeting Parameters: Digital advertising platforms allow recruiters to target their advertisements based on specific parameters such as location, age, gender, education level, job title, skills, interests, and even browsing behavior. This ensures that the ads are shown to relevant candidates, increasing the chances of attracting qualified applicants. This can also increase the diversity of the candidate pool.
5. Communication is Key: Today’s candidates expect regular communication via text messages and their phones. To guide candidates through the process, a sophisticated CRM communication system helps move candidates from being interested to applying. Texting and regular communication keep the candidates engaged and provide continual learning about Palo Alto’s opportunities.
6. Optimizing Ad Campaigns: Recruiters continuously monitor the performance of their digital advertising campaigns, analyzing metrics such as click-through rates, impressions, and conversions. They may tweak the targeting parameters, adjust the ad content, or allocate more budget to platforms that are generating better results. See the example below of the level of data and analysis that is monitored and evaluated regularly.
Sample
Data
Only
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7. Engaging Passive Candidates: In addition to reaching out to active job seekers, targeted digital advertising can also help in engaging passive candidates who may not be actively looking for a job but could be open to new opportunities if the right offer comes along. This is particularly useful for recruiting top talent in competitive industries.
8. Candidate Sourcing: Apart from paid advertising, recruiters also engage in candidate sourcing, which involves actively searching for potential candidates through online channels such as professional networking sites, LinkedIn, resume databases, online forums, and social media. Advanced search filters and search techniques are often used to narrow down the candidate pool based on specific criteria.
9. Building Talent Pools: Recruiters often build and maintain talent pools or talent pipelines consisting of qualified candidates who have expressed interest in working for the organization or have been identified through sourcing efforts. These talent pools can be leveraged for future job openings, reducing time-to- hire and recruitment costs.
10. Virtual Recruitment Events: With the right outreach, virtual recruitment events are effective ways to showcase an organization. Specifically, these events do the following: (1) meet candidates where they are; decreasing barriers to attend; (2) earn candidates’ attention and desire to apply; (3) show the culture of the organization with current employees presenting and talking to candidates; (4) community building with transparency and genuine connection with candidates; and (5) re-connection with interested candidates using smaller breakout rooms.
Pilot Test – Utilities & Public Works Departments
To pilot the approach above, the City Manager approved a targeted advertising and candidate sourcing program for two positions in the Utilities Department and one position in Public Works (see draft below). Active management of this recruitment campaign will be
conducted with routine meetings with HR and Utilities.
This initiative allows Palo Alto to test drive these new best practices, learning as they go.
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SECTION 4 - RECRUITMENT STRATEGIC PLAN
RECRUITMENT STRATEGIC PLAN
Below is the summary of the Recruitment Strategic Plan. More details on each listed item in shown in the Strategic Plan below.
PALO ALTO – RECRUITMENT STRATEGIC PLAN
#1
Boost Recruitment Team
Capacity & Capabilities
#2
Activate Marketing,
Advertising & Sourcing
#3
Streamline Process
& Uplift Data/Metrics
#4
Invest in
Talent Pipeline
Strategic Management
1.1 Deploy Strategic Planning &
Oversight to Recruitments
Staffing & Capacity
1.2 Add “Recruitment Manager”
New Position as Division
Manager
1.3 Continue to Augment
Recruitment Division with
Supplemental Staffing
1.4 Add Data Analytics Support
1.5 Use Consulting Services initially,
then add “Digital Talent
Recruiter” Position
1.6 Support & Grow the HR Liaison
Program
1.7 Invest in training for HR Team
Branding, Advertising & Candidate
Sourcing
2.1 Leverage Employee Insights &
Custom Messaging
2.2 Enhance the City's Job/Career
Website: Elevating Candidate
Experience and Brand Image
2.3 Streamline City Job Listings:
Simplifying Access and
Information
2.4 Craft Compelling Content to
Strengthen Palo Alto's Employer
Brand
2.5 Build Recruitment Landing
Pages & Deploy CRM for Active
Candidate Engagement
2.6 Invest in Targeted Digital
Advertising
2.7 Host Virtual Recruitment Fairs
General Marketing
2.8 Continue to Optimize Social
Media for General Marketing
2.9 Foster Employee Ambassadors
2.10 Continue to Utilize LinkedIn
Process Improvements
3.1 Streamline Recruitment Process:
Focus on Critical Path Actions
3.2 Streamline Phase 7: Pre-
boarding – Final Candidate to
Start Date
3.3 Candidate Engagement Surveys
3.4 Upgrade Exit Interview Process
3.5 Explore MOU Modifications
3.6 Continually Measure, Evaluate,
Communicate, and Improve
Data & Metrics
3.7 Invest in Data Integration,
Utilization & Dashboards
3.8 Build Recruitment Metrics
3.9 Workforce Analysis Report
Pipeline Initiatives
4.1 Review Job Requirements &
Broaden the Candidate Pool
4.2 Build Additional Apprenticeship
Programs
4.3 Continue Internship and
Fellowship Programs
4.4 Build Local Outreach Programs
4.5 Implement “Stay Interviews”
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RECRUITMENT STRATEGIC PLAN
STRATEGIC PLAN
Recruiting top talent necessitates proactive marketing and branding efforts, along with the establishment of a robust talent pipeline.
Successful recruitment operations prioritize building their employer brand, treating candidates as valued customers and potential future team members, and implementing streamlined systems in collaboration with departmental partners. Currently, there is a pressing need for Palo Alto to intensify its efforts, focus, and resource allocation to address the numerous vacant positions across the organization. By filling these budgeted vacancies, Palo Alto demonstrates its commitment to existing employees, leading to a more balanced workload and reduced stress over time. Moreover, bolstering staffing levels in community services enhances overall service delivery by attracting the highest caliber of talent.
Optimizing HR staffing levels and fully leveraging modern recruitment tools are imperative steps to enhance the City's recruitment program. Implementing an intentional and cohesive marketing campaign through the strategic use of social media advertising platforms can significantly amplify recruitment efforts. Recognizing that the recruitment process, as well as the first day and initial months of an employee's tenure, profoundly impact their overall satisfaction, engagement, and retention .
The Recruitment Strategic Plan centers on four key areas, encompassing work in progress, general findings, ongoing initiatives, and actionable recommendations for improvement.
BOOST
RECRUITMENT TEAM
CAPACITY &
CAPABILITIES
ACTIVATE MARKETING,
ADVERTISING &
SOURCING
STREAMLINE
PROCESS & UPLIFT
DATA/METRICS
INVEST IN
TALENT
PIPELINE
RECRUITMENT STRATEGIC PLAN
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#1 – BOOST RECRUITMENT TEAM CAPACITY & CAPABILITIES
In Process:
Regular meetings with the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, HR Director, and Assistant HR Director have been initiated to keep focus and priority on recruitment activity and hiring.
After several failed recruitment attempts, HR hired a new Senior HR Administrator who started in February 2024. Currently augmenting recruitment staff with external recruiters, contract recruiters, and two part-time Management Specialists. Increased one Management Specialist to 40 hours per week for the rest of FY 23/24 (cost estimate of $45K). Training in process for seven additional HR Liaison positions (four in Public Works and three in Community Services). Developing a formal certification program for the HR Liaison Program to provide greater support and responsibility based on level, role clarity, and authority.
A formal recognition program for HRLs will also be created. o Level 1 – Provides administrative and logistical support to HR or department HRLs. o Level 2 – Provides entry-level professional-level recruitment actions on active department recruitments. Screens applications, communicates with candidates, drives the key steps of the recruitment, develops questions and tests in coordination with HR & department management staff o Level 3 – Provides all of Level 2, plus has expertise in negotiating the employee’s pre-boarding offer letter and other areas of preboarding items. Sent two HR staff to the annual NEOGOV user conference this year, plus funding for all recruiters to attend in the coming year to improve software competency.
Trained HR Team on how to create engaging job postings versus using the full job descriptions; added branded logos and ideal candidate descriptions.
Strategic Management
1.1 Deploy Strategic Planning &
Oversight to Recruitments
Invest in new management capacity and deploy more strategic oversight of the City’s recruitment program. Shift from triaging recruitments to strategic planning by creating a master plan for how to roll out the recruitments with prioritization, resource management, communication, and efficiency. In the interim, create an integrated spreadsheet (Recruitment/Vacancy Project Plan) that tracks current vacancies by department and current recruitments in process by department. In the future, use an umbrella CRM (Candidate Response Management system) to have a dashboard and easily accessible management reports. Use core project management skills (GANTT charts) to manage the City’s current and upcoming recruitments. This can help with visualization in scheduling, managing, and monitoring specific tasks and resources in a project. By outlining all recruitments, HR can determine the overall timing and the level of additional resources/support needed. Continue to give departments a critical voice in outlining their recruitment needs and priorities, but add a citywide lens with input from the City Manager’s Office and HR executive management. Develop an overall strategy for completing backlogged recruitments due to the peak demand of the City’s staffing rebuild. One recommended strategy is to add external recruiters to focus on Utilities and Public Works vacancies to help them through their backlog and relevel the vacancy list. Embrace HR’s role in looking at efficiencies to bundle recruitments and strategically manage recruitment priorities and flow.
Staffing & Capacity
1.2 Add “Recruitment Manager”
New Position as Division
Manager
The complexity and importance of recruitments requires a new division-level management position to develop priorities, improve systems, manage staff, and lead new digital marketing programs specifically dedicated to recruitments. This role would offer expertise, strategic direction, and mentorship vital for navigating the intricacies of modern recruiting. The Item 16
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Recruitment Manager would deliver additional training, mentoring, and support as needed for the central HR Team and HRLs.
1.3 Continue to Augment
Recruitment Division with
Supplemental Staffing
Continue efforts to augment recruiting staffing with additional part-time assistance or consultant assistance to expand staffing resources for Recruitment/Selection. Continue part-time help to assist with para-professional and administrative duties related to recruitments including scheduling, pre-boarding, etc. Develop an overall strategy for completing backlogged recruitments and then add specific recruiting capacity as needed.
1.4 Add Data Analytics Support Add database and analytic support to the HR team by starting with consulting or part-time assistance to build a CRM (customer relationship management software) and/or a recruitment dashboard (see Recommendation 3.7). Critical investment area to improve communication, coordination, and data-enabled decision-making.
1.5 Use Consulting Services
Initially, then Add “Digital
Talent Recruiter” Position
Add marketing and candidate sourcing expertise for the HR Recruitment Team to assist with social media, marketing, and digital advertising. After a digital advertising program is built through consultants and integrated into the recruitment program, a new internal position should be added to drive this work. Specific duties include:
Serve as the internal expert on digital advertising and candidate sourcing. Support other HR staff to grow their knowledge and competencies.
Conduct active candidate sourcing to increase the number and quality of candidates in recruitments. Hold virtual recruitment and career fair events to generate interest in Palo Alto jobs with specific targeting of open positions.
Actively place advertisements and post to key social media platforms. Communicate directly with candidates to develop interest and commitment. Hand-off to other recruitment staff for follow-through and continuing communication.
Coordinate social and digital media efforts with the City’s Communications staff. Implement candidate and hiring manager surveys to gain their feedback and experience for immediate implementation of necessary adjustments to recruitment efforts.
1.6 Support & Grow the HR
Liaison Program
Review and refresh the HR Liaison Program.
Create formal oversight of department HRL staff with linkage to central HR staff. Reinforce the collaborative and strong partnership between HR and HRLs by ensuring engagement during the full recruitment cycle. Actively coordinate support, screen, and train to grow HRL's capacity and capabilities. Retain strong business partner relationships with Department management.
Hold regular meetings for coordination with HRLs including Brown Bag Lunch and Learn Sessions with HRLs to facilitate learning through knowledge transfer and sharing of ideas including joint problem-solving. Augment the “Recruitment Guide” with shorter project management tools, cheat sheets, and scripts to support HR staff and HRLs in the recruitment process. Utilize short videos for quick training tips. Celebrate the work and achievements of HRLs.
1.7 Invest in Training for the HR
Team
Create regular professional development opportunities for HR recruiters and HRLs. Marketing / Digital Advertising Training – Utilize outside consultant expertise for training in digital advertising and social media marketing. Utilize Communications staff to provide training on the City’s website and social media accounts. Increase exposure, knowledge, and aptitude. Provide regular boot camp with virtual monthly coaching/training.
Project Management Training – Provide project management training and tools to help HR Recruiters manage various recruitments effectively and efficiently.
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#2 – ACTIVATE MARKETING, ADVERTISING & SOURCING
Completed:
Posting recruitments on the City’s social media platforms. Exploring specific social media strategies to increase digital engagement. Purchasing some digital advertisements with the current PIO budget. Posting both job-specific and general ‘we are hiring’ posts. Job listings in Uplift weekly e-newsletter. Highlighting new postings/listings that are closing soon. (over 50k subscribers, 45% open rate) City Hall Lobby screen activation ‘We are hiring’ with link to www.cityofpaloalto.org/careers. Tie job openings specific to City priorities such as the recent DEI program manager listing included in the recent race and equity progress blog. Created the Motivation Mondays series on LinkedIn.
Added Careers to the City’s homepage for additional exposure (over 1 million unique visitors annually). Add/follow hiring partners, industry associations, etc. on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Refresh/rebranded the City’s Careers page in partnership with the HR team. Adding ongoing content such as recent commute programs information. Updated City’s GovernmentJobs.com opening employer description. Refreshed Recruitment templates for website, social media, and other digital communications.
In Process:
Enhancing LinkedIn recruitment strategies; ongoing presence overall about City recruitments, adding new job openings as they are posted. Employee recognitions at Council with an Instagram series. New Employee Orientation Welcomes - engage on social media with a focus on LinkedIn.
Branding, Advertising & Candidate Sourcing
2.1 Leverage Employee Insights
& Custom Messaging
To effectively attract candidates, it's crucial to grasp the organization's culture, the employee value proposition, and factors that both attract and retain current staff. Recently, the City conducted a comprehensive employee engagement survey, providing valuable insights into why employees enjoy working for Palo Alto. Augmenting this survey, a variety of employees could be interviewed with a focus on hard-to-fill positions to offer more specific marketing insights.
Additionally, short videos capturing employee testimonials could be produced. Using the collected data, customized messaging and notifications could be crafted to strengthen departmental appeal and attract a diverse candidate pool.
2.2 Enhance the City's
Job/Career Website:
Elevating Candidate
Experience and Brand Image
Revamp the current Careers/Job Opening web pages to create a dynamic platform that not only connects to job openings but also provides comprehensive details about employee benefits, perks, corporate culture, and more. By showcasing compelling content, including language, images, videos, and branding, the website can captivate potential recruits and reinforce Palo Alto's employer brand.
Appealing & Friendly Design: Develop a user-friendly jobs/career website with visually appealing design elements such as spacing, colors, and logos.
Compelling Content: Share meaningful stories from current staff members highlighting exciting City-wide projects, such as economic development initiatives, innovative projects, and employee wellness programs. These testimonials offer valuable insights into the work environment and opportunities available in Palo Alto. Lead Generation: Implement a contact form to capture leads from website visitors interested in a career with Palo Alto.
Utilize these leads to initiate further engagement and recruitment efforts. Interactive Features: Incorporate interactive elements such as videos and virtual tours to provide a firsthand glimpse into life at Palo Alto. These features engage visitors and encourage them to explore job opportunities further.
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2.3 Streamline City Job Listings:
Simplifying Access and
Information
The City's job listings are accessible via https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/paloaltoca, facilitated by the City's NEOGOV software. While this platform serves as the primary hub for job postings, additional linked pages on the site provide information on benefits and other city-related details. However, this setup presents challenges, as it requires HR staff to maintain two separate locations for updates and content management. To enhance efficiency and user experience, it is recommended that the City utilize www.governmentjobs.com exclusively for job postings and not post other general information. Candidates can then be directed to the City's Career/Jobs webpage for more comprehensive information. By consolidating resources and streamlining access, both HR staff and candidates will benefit from a more cohesive and user- friendly approach to job listings and information dissemination.
2.4 Craft Compelling Content to
Strengthen Palo Alto's
Employer Brand
The aim is to equip HR with compelling and professional content, tailored for social media, advertising campaigns, and website development, bolstering Palo Alto's employer brand. This content will humanize the brand by sharing stories of actual employees, highlighting personal and professional growth opportunities provided by the City. It should reinforce Palo Alto’s employer brand and value proposition while maintaining consistency and recognition across departments. Tailored Taglines and Ad Copy: Develop taglines and ad copy based on market research to attract new candidates effectively.
Department-Specific Content: Create content tailored to key department's unique offerings and culture to resonate with potential candidates.
Multimedia Assets: Generate graphics, landing pages, emails, banner ads, and social media ads infused with Palo Alto branding and messaging from research findings.
Promotional Videos: Produce short- and long-form promotional videos, including motion graphics and b-roll footage, to be shared across various platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and the City's website. Ongoing Research: Use insights from 1:1 interviews to inform initial messaging and positioning.
2.5 Build Recruitment Landing
Pages & Deploy CRM for
Active Candidate
Engagement
Adoption of an advanced marketing strategy entails the development of specialized landing pages customized for specific job positions. Grouping similar positions on these pages enables the City to streamline the recruitment process by addressing multiple vacancies simultaneously, thus minimizing the resources needed for individual recruitment efforts. As these landing pages mature, they have the potential to transform into standalone recruitment websites, mirroring the approach utilized by numerous Police Departments for recruitment and marketing purposes.
The landing pages are linked to a robust CRM for candidate communication and tracking. This integration allows for the accurate tracking of lead sources, facilitating the analysis of key metrics such as cost per lead, cost per interview, and cost per hire based on the origin of the leads. The CRM also allows HR and the department to have real-time information regarding interest, applications, and candidate communication. The CRM also uses a text and email-enabled communication system to make it easy for recruiters to connect and communicate with leads and candidates.
2.6 Invest in Targeted Digital
Advertising
Take a proactive approach to recruitment by leveraging targeted advertising on job sites, social media platforms, and relevant websites frequented by potential candidates. This targeted approach allows employers to tailor their outreach efforts to individuals with specific skills and qualifications, rather than casting a wide net to a generic audience. Moreover, targeted advertising can enhance the organization's brand image by showcasing its core values and employer value proposition to potential recruits. These ads can be tailored based on various factors such as facility similarities, military focus, or diversity initiatives aligned with organizational hiring goals.
Launch ad campaigns featuring imagery and messaging derived from research findings. Implement Google Ads across Search, Display, and YouTube platforms to drive traffic through search and marketplace ads. Initiate campaigns on job platforms like Indeed to expand reach and attract relevant candidates.
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2.7 Host Virtual Recruitment
Fairs
In conjunction with a robust digital strategy, hosting virtual recruitment events offers a personalized touchpoint for candidates, humanizing the City and alleviating questions about specific departments. These events should maintain consistency and capitalize on candidate lists generated through targeted advertising. Moreover, they should include dedicated campaigns to drive registrations and attract attendees who express interest in working for Palo Alto.
Additionally, past applicants and candidates from previous recruitments who were not selected can also be considered as potential candidates for other City positions, thereby constituting a pool of individuals already interested in joining the organization. Insights gathered from virtual career fairs can be particularly motivating and may rekindle interest in employment opportunities with Palo Alto. These initiatives can be tailored to address general recruitment needs or targeted towards specific departments as required.
General Marketing
2.8 Continue to Optimize Social
Media for General
Marketing
The City boasts a sizable social media following, with substantial engagement across platforms [City: Facebook-12,000; Twitter/X-18,700; Instagram 6,600]. While these channels are valuable for some general recruitment marketing, they will not reach a broader candidate pool on their own. The objective of the City's social media presence for recruitment is to bolster its brand by spotlighting achievements, introducing employees, and showcasing the meaningful work undertaken. Transition from generic "We're Hiring" posts to a recruitment branding initiative like "Join Team Palo Alto," featuring stories and personal highlights.
Inject more personality and human touch into social media content to spotlight employees and the City's successes. Continue to support departments in crafting and disseminating posts highlighting program initiatives, achievements, videos, employee profiles, and operational updates.
Continue to use relevant hashtags on job postings to enhance visibility. Hashtags enable web crawlers to identify job postings, ensuring they appear in searches conducted by job seekers. Examples include #Engineer, #PublicWorks, #Transportation.
Refer to Appendix C - Social Media Analysis for additional recommendations to optimize the City's social media platforms.
2.9 Foster Employee
Ambassadors
Empower Palo Alto staff to become brand ambassadors to help promote and recruit future employees. Social Media Networkers - Provide employees with a Social Media Playbook containing assets, information, and images for effective marketing. Conduct training sessions to enhance their proficiency in platforms like LinkedIn and expand their professional networks. Recognize and incentivize employee ambassadors who actively promote the City's website from their posts.
Employee Referral Program -- Develop an employee referral bonus program. Provide a cash bonus or vacation day for current employees who help attract new employees. Examples of other agencies with employee referral bonus programs include UC Berkeley, San Mateo County, City of Torrance.
2.10 Continue to Utilize LinkedIn
Continue to leverage the LinkedIn platform, which currently boasts over 7,000 followers on Palo Alto’s page, as a recruitment tool for hard-to-fill positions. Enhance the City's presence on LinkedIn by focusing on employee stories, new hires, career opportunities, and notable achievements rather than general city updates. Explore LinkedIn recruitment products to engage in direct outreach to individuals who match the competency map for the challenging positions.
Encourage Palo Alto employees to engage with and share posts to expand the reach of recruitment efforts.
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#3 – STREAMLINE PROCESS & UPLIFT DATA/METRICS
In Process:
Delegated salary parameter decisions for job offers to the Assistant HR Director for expedited approvals, reducing the time from 2-3 weeks to 24-48 hours. A Pre-Requisition Questionnaire was created by MRG to facilitate key questions and logistical issues that can be determined at the front of the recruitment process to reduce time delays. The questionnaire is being rolled out to the recruitment team. IT and HR staff are working together to enhance and expedite the workflow when issuing employee numbers and preparing for onboarding. A Candidate Pulse Engagement Survey is being created to measure and track overall experiences both by candidates and hiring managers. Hiring a part-time HR position to assist with pre-boarding processing, coordination, and paperwork.
Process Improvements
3.1 Streamline Recruitment
Process: Focus on
Critical Path Actions
Streamline the recruitment process with a focus on critical path decisions to reduce processing time by anticipating logistical issues that can be determined ahead of time to reduce delays. Refer to Appendix A for specific recommendations. Begin by focusing on Phase 1 – Requisition Approval and Phase 2 – Planning & Posting. Hold recruitment strategy meetings with department hiring managers at the start of each recruitment cycle to establish key parameters. Use a recruitment checklist and pre-recruitment questionnaire and equip HRLs and Hiring Managers with as much information upfront to proactively plan and conduct the recruitment process. Determine ahead of time the targeted interview dates, panel members (including SEIU, if applicable), screening processes (phone, panel, or HireVue), candidate salary expectations, and tentative salary placement based on internal equity considerations. Develop a timeline with mutually agreed-upon key dates.
Review minimum requirements and request candidates to provide proof of licenses and certifications during the initial interview stages, rather than delaying until the final candidate selection phase. Require all candidates to sign a reference waiver form at the time of their first interview. Dispose of unnecessary forms promptly and proceed immediately with reference checks for final candidates. Encourage hiring managers and departments to initiate reference checks during the final round of interviews to expedite the selection process and start dates.
Prepare draft conditional offer letters at the time of the final round of interviews to allow HRLs and HR to effectively collaborate and partner on the process and initiate the final job offer discussion with the selected candidate. For HRLs with a Level 3 certification, allow them to drive the pre-boarding and offer process in conjunction with HR versus handing the baton back to HR at this time. Allows for higher level candidate communication and department relationship building with the final candidate.
3.2 Streamline Phase 7:
Pre-boarding – Final
Candidate to Start Date
Use an interdepartmental Strike Team to streamline final preboarding. Refer to Appendix A for more recommendations. Create an online checklist for workspace readiness with department responsibilities outlined. Document roles and processes for HR and Information Technology Departments to ensure new employees have a computer, login access, phone, and any other necessary equipment ready to go on Day 1. Document roles and streamline processes for HR and the Public Works Department to ensure new employees' identification badges/access key cards are ready on the employees’ start dates. Fully utilize NEOGOV more effectively by full deployment of online OnBoard forms with more consistent follow-up. Ensure prompt setup of direct deposit for new employees.
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3.3 Candidate Engagement
Surveys
Candidate Engagement Surveys aim to uncover reasons why potential candidates withdraw. Timely pulse engagement surveys are administered before candidates exit the application process to capture their experiences and pain points. The surveys typically assess process satisfaction, timing, communication, and support. They also gauge satisfaction with key retention metrics like the quality of hiring steps, communication, and clarity. In the past, HR conducted these surveys regularly but hasn't been able to continue due to workload and staffing constraints.
3.4 Upgrade Exit Interview
Process
Upgrade the City’s exit interview process featuring confidential surveys and one-on-one phone or in-person interviews. Share key themes and insights with departments quarterly to enhance awareness and dedication to process enhancement initiatives.
Compile an annual update with citywide and department-level information detailing reasons for employee departures.
3.5 Explore MOU
Modifications
Review SEIU MOU procedural requirements for recruitments and explore modifications at the bargaining table and updates for today’s recruitment environment.
Requires 10-day posting of positions. Options to explore include: (1) consider identifying positions that may be posted concurrently; (2) consider modifying language in posting for 5 days internally only prior to advertising externally when there are strong internal candidates who can apply and compete for the position; and (3) explore direct appointment language for certain positions.
Requires interview of internal candidates first, if three or more candidates meet the minimal qualifications. The City is unable to begin the review of the external candidates until the internal interviews have been completed. Explore ways to modify or eliminate this practice.
Requires represented employee to sit on interview panel if panel format is being used. Consider establishing a list of panel members who will commit to serving and being available for various recruitments throughout the year. Requires the City to conduct recruitments for flexibly staffed and underfilled positions, despite incumbents in the role for a period of time. Consider negotiating language to waive requirements to conduct recruitments for flexibly staffed and underfilled positions to fully encourage and foster internal promotions.
3.6 Continually Measure,
Evaluate,
Communicate, and
Improve
Embrace a "Lean Startup" mindset for marketing campaigns and recruitment efforts, focusing on rapid adaptation based on real-time feedback and data insights. Utilize dashboards and metrics to guide decision-making and continuously refine the recruitment strategy. Effective project management ensures timely execution of the recruitment plan and proactive problem- solving. Additionally, foster stronger collaboration between HR recruitment staff and departments by enhancing communication and training:
Hold regular check-in meetings and monthly report sessions to facilitate communication and accountability. Conduct quarterly and annual meetings with departments to review recruitment progress and identify areas for improvement. Establish service-level agreements with departments to streamline communication and deliverables, reducing turnaround times in the recruitment process.
Develop recruitment training programs for first-time supervisors/managers and maintain a list of panel interview members per department to ensure adequate training and availability.
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Data & Metrics
3.7 Invest in Data
Integration, Utilization
& Dashboards
Invest in software integration and better data management/utilization for data-enabled decision-making. Build an interim real-time Recruitment Dashboard with key data and metrics to monitor recruitment processing and improve internal communication and coordination. Identify and establish various Phases of Recruitments for ease in communicating the status with departments. Provide information access to city departments that assist with recruitment and new employee processing including Communications, Finance, Public Works, Information Technology, etc. Bring NEOGOV training in-house for HR recruiters and HRLs and increase software learning for full competency. Review the NEOGOV management module and gain internal expertise for custom management reporting as needed. Invest in the proper integration of SAP and NEOGOV to avoid redundant processes, cumbersome data collection, and manual maintenance of HR reports.
Explore an interim web-based Human Resource Information System (HRIS) to begin foundational employee/position controls and other management information. [A human resources information system (HRIS) helps companies manage and automate core HR processes. These HR software systems support benefits administration, time and attendance, payroll, and other workflows, as well as the storage of employee data, such as personal, demographic, and compensation information.]
3.8 Build Recruitment
Metrics
Build data and metrics to track recruitment progress. Once base data is captured, set goals and time frames for each metric as performance goals. Target future vacancy rate of 8-10% for all full-time budgeted positions in the organization. Quantitative Metrics
Vacancy Rate – overall and by department. Resignations by month by department including reasons for departure. Application Completion Rate
Applications per Job Posting
Time to Hire
Time to Fill
Ad Cost to Hire
Source of Hire
Offer Acceptance Rate
First-Year Attrition Rate
Recruitment Phases
Qualitative Metrics
Candidate Experience – Survey candidates across several metrics, such as responsiveness, interview competence, communication skills, and courtesy.
Hiring Manager Experience – Survey hiring managers on efficiency, responsiveness, and overall quality of the hiring process.
3.9 Workforce Analysis
Report
Build data and systems to create an annual Workforce Analysis Report for reporting to departments and the City Council. It will take several years before HR is positioned to prepare this document as HR builds capacity, systems, and data. See the example from San Mateo County [Link].
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#4 – INVEST IN TALENT PIPELINE
Pipeline Initiatives
4.1 Review Job
Requirements &
Broaden the
Candidate Pool
Review job requirements to maximize inclusivity and attract diverse candidates by considering equivalent combinations of education and experience. Reframe previous public sector experience requirements as preferred or desirable qualifications for certain positions. Introduce trainee-level roles to facilitate progression towards journey-level positions. Broaden applicant pools through proactive recruitment efforts to eliminate unnecessary degree prerequisites, evaluate minimum qualifications in general, shift to a focus on skills, welcome candidates with private sector experience, and demonstrate flexibility in considering resume gaps.
4.2 Build Additional
Apprenticeship
Programs
The City has utilized apprenticeship programs in some occupations historically (Fire, Police). More recently, Utilities successfully deployed a Utility Systems Operator Trainee position which has helped to reduce vacancies in this classification. Partner with local junior colleges, colleges, and universities to establish and develop apprenticeship programs. Explore the creation of a summer apprenticeship program in partnership with Foothill Community College.
4.3 Continue Internship &
Fellowship Programs
Continue and expand internship opportunities for high school and undergraduate students, as well as fellowships for graduate- level students, to nurture the employee pipeline and offer students valuable professional exposure. Leveraging successful programs like those with the Art Center and Children’s Theatre, the City can provide students with opportunities to enhance their skills, expand their professional networks, and contribute to the community. Although the traditional summer internship program has been dormant due to the pandemic, it should be restarted once recruitments are stabilized or by hiring a contractor to oversee the program if started earlier.
4.4 Build Local Outreach
Programs
Develop additional Community Technical Education (CTE) pathway programs in collaboration with the Palo Alto Unified School District and East Palo Unified School District that begin to expose students and prepare them for careers within the City. Support CTE pathways with a variety of volunteer and paid internships, explorer programs, and other opportunities to develop potential future employees of the City.
4.5 Implement “Stay
Interviews”
Focus on retaining current employees to minimize vacancies by utilizing “stay interviews”. A stay interview is a proactive approach used by organizations to engage with current employees and understand their job satisfaction, motivations, and reasons for staying with the organization. Unlike exit interviews, which occur when an employee is leaving the organization, stay interviews are conducted while the employee is still employed.
During a stay interview, a manager or HR representative meets with the employee to discuss various aspects of their job, including their current role, career aspirations, work environment, challenges, and suggestions for improvement. The purpose is to gather feedback directly from the employee about what they value in their job, what keeps them engaged, and any concerns or areas where they may need support.
Stay interviews are valuable because they provide insight into the factors that contribute to employee retention and job satisfaction. By actively listening to employees and addressing their concerns or suggestions, organizations can create a positive work environment, improve employee morale, and reduce turnover. Additionally, stay interviews can help identify opportunities for career development and advancement, aligning employees' goals with organizational objectives.
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SECTION 5 – IMPLEMENTATION
This section outlines key thoughts and recommendations on how and what Palo Alto will need to do to implement this Recruitment Strategic Plan.
Financial Investments
Financial investments will be required to execute a heightened recruitment strategy with targeted digital advertising and candidate sourcing. Specifically, areas of investment are listed below. A precise budget and investment package will need to be researched.
Advertising Budget: Allocating a budget for paid advertising on digital platforms is essential for reaching a wider audience and maximizing the visibility of job advertisements. This could include spending on pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, sponsored posts on social media, or premium listings on job boards.
Data Dashboards & Integration: Utilizing data and analytics tools is crucial for tracking the performance of recruitment campaigns, analyzing candidate demographics and behavior, and making data-driven decisions to optimize hiring efforts. Consulting assistance will be needed to create better integration with Palo Alto’s software systems and to create a comprehensive and easy-to-view Recruitment Dashboard/CRM. Additional consulting or staffing resources will be needed to build the data systems needed for active candidate managing and management reports.
Content Creation: Developing high-quality, engaging content for job advertisements, social media posts, and other recruitment materials may involve expenses related to hiring copywriters, graphic designers, or video producers.
Training and Development: Providing training and development opportunities for recruitment teams to enhance their skills and stay updated with industry trends may require financial investment in workshops, seminars, online courses, or certifications.
Consulting Services: The City may choose to enlist the help of external consultants or recruitment agencies to assist with targeted digital advertising campaigns, candidate sourcing and communication efforts, or employer branding initiatives.
Key Roles of the City Council
The leadership of the City Council plays a pivotal role in the success of the Recruitment Strategic Plan. Initially, MRG identifies three crucial roles for the City Council:
1. Prioritize Recruiting: The City Council recognizes that fulfilling its priorities for the community relies on having a well-staffed organization with skilled employees. Continued support and policy direction for the City's recruitment program and strategy is key.
2. Providing Financial Support and Resources: As outlined above, the Strategic Plan will necessitate both one-time and ongoing financial resources for staffing, tools, technology, and equipment. Without secured financial support and investment, the Strategic Plan's success will be compromised. MRG recommends that the City Manager present an initial resource request followed by a recommendation for a more comprehensive multi-year budget investment.
3. Monitoring Compensation & Benefits: The City has implemented strategic improvements in base pay, benefits, and work schedules. Continuous monitoring of compensation and benefits is essential for effective recruitment and retention efforts.
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The Need to Move Quickly
While full implementation of the Strategic Plan will take some time, immediate action and resolve are required. Executive Leadership & Project Champion – Committed executive leadership is required to ensure organizational change occurs and the Strategic Plan is implemented. The City Manager’s Office has the vision and organizational leadership acumen to ensure this work is driven forward. Seasoned Project Manager – The Recruitment Strategic Plan will require a seasoned manager to lead and drive these efforts forward with the full support of the executive champion. This should be Assistant HR Director at this time and eventually, the Recruitment Division Manager after that position is hired. 1X & Ongoing Financial Resources – New investments in the organization for staff, consultants, technology, equipment, supplies, etc. are all required to implement the Strategic Plan. The funding needs should be identified and set aside for the upcoming years to ensure this organizational effort has the resources to complete its projected outcomes.
Strike Teams – Implementing the transformative steps outlined in this report can greatly enhance hiring effectiveness, but it's a challenging task for any organization. To overcome these challenges and expedite the process of closing talent gaps, Strike Teams can be established. These specialized teams are tasked with orchestrating and accelerating the implementation of these steps to drive rapid improvements in hiring practices. For success, a Strike Team needs the following:
Cross-Functional Team of Stakeholders: A diverse team of stakeholders from HR, business, and subject matter experts work together to expedite the hiring process by minimizing delays and ensuring alignment. Commitment to Interactive Improvements: An iterative working model supported by agile methods enables rapid identification of hiring bottlenecks, intervention deployment, and data-informed adjustments for continuous improvement. Prioritized Action Plan – There are thirty-one (31) individual recommendations in the Strategic Plan. While a complete implementation of this Strategic Plan might take a few years, it is critical to move forward with urgency. Below are the prioritized items to begin the in first 90 days.
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SECTION 6 -- APPENDICES
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APPENDIX A
APPENDIX A – Detailed Recruitment Process Recommendations A recruitment process includes all the steps that move the hiring process from job description to a new employee starting the job – including the initial authority to begin a recruitment, development of the job posting, outreach and marketing, application screening, interviews and assessments, background checks, job offer, and pre-boarding activities -- all of the elements crucial to making the right hire. Addressing areas for improvement can significantly enhance the recruitment process, resulting in better outcomes for both candidates and the organization. Below are the recruitment phases found in Palo Alto’s recruitment program.
GATE PHASE PHASE NAME DESCRIPTION
Phase A and B below aren’t differentiated currently in Palo Alto’s system or discussions, but additional clarity and tracking are needed here.
Recommend new language and new phases to be created for the recruitments that have not been initiated.
Phase A Department Hold Vacant positions that departments are not ready to initiate recruitments for at this time. A department “hold” can occur when using interim staffing options, reorganizing, modifying the work, or generating salary savings.
Phase B On Deck The department is ready to proceed; waiting for a recruiter to launch the recruitment.
GATE 1
Phase 1 Requisition
Approval
Requisition approval process. Confirmation by OMB, department, and HR that the position is approved for hire.
Phase 2 Planning & Posting From approval of the position for hiring (requisition) to posting of the position. This phase involves identifying hiring needs, defining job requirements, agreeing on outreach efforts, anticipating potential salary and benefits issues, and developing a well-defined recruitment strategy. Clear candidate profiles & marketing are created.
GATE 2
Phase 3 Marketing,
Sourcing &
Outreach
Open application time including outreach and marketing. Recruiters market to potential candidates using various methods such as job boards, advertising, trade and professional organizations, social media, networking, and employee referrals.
GATE 3
Phase 4 Screening /
Application
Processing
HR-internal or HRL review for applications for minimum qualifications and then department review for top candidates (HRL or management). Recruiters review resumes, applications, and other candidate materials to assess qualifications and suitability for the position. Phone screenings or initial interviews can be conducted to evaluate candidates' skills and fit for the role.
Phase 5 Interview, Testing
& Selection
Interview, testing, and vetting of candidates. In the selection phase, recruiters and hiring managers conduct interviews and assessments to evaluate candidates' qualifications, experience, and cultural fit. A final candidate is identified.
GATE 4 Phase 6 Finalist to Offer
Letter
Time from selection of final candidate to offer letter. Once a candidate is selected, reference checking is completed. A verbal offer is extended. Negotiations may occur regarding salary, benefits, start date, and other terms of employment.
GATE 5 Phase 7 Pre-boarding Activities to be ready for new employee’s start date. Pre-boarding ensures a seamless transition for new employees by ensuring that all necessary tools, technology, pertinent documents, and resources are prepared and accessible from day one. This can include setting up workstations, providing access to software systems and user IDs, and ensuring that necessary equipment is ready for use.
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GATE 1 – Phase 1 (Requisition Approval) + Phase 2 (Planning and Posting of the Position)
Upon notification of a pending vacancy or approval of a new budget/approved position, Departments initiate the process by sub mitting a requisition via NEOGOV, the applicant tracking system, with the relevant manager and department head approvals. The requi sition serves to obtain authorization to fill the vacancy and includes essential information such as Job Title, Top Annual Salary, and Position Number. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reviews all requisitions for approval, ensuring alignment with City Council-approved levels in the annual budget regarding position title classification, bargaining group, and budgetary allocation.
Once approved, the requisition is forwarded to HR for classification review based on the scope of work, salary range, bargaining group, and confirmation of any existing re-employment lists. HR prioritizes requisition reviews based on departmental needs. Upon final approval, the requisition is ass igned to a recruiter who collaborates with the H iring Manager and the HRL to de velop a customized recruitment plan for each vacancy. This detailed plan establishes mutual expectations regarding job announcement language, posting duration, candidate evaluation procedures, subject matter experts, panel members , advertisement strategies, and stakeholders' involvement at each step of the recruitment process.
Areas of Improvement:
Recommend a focused Strike Team review Phase 1 Requisition Approval to find ways to reduce and streamline this process thoroughly. For example, consider increasing the frequency of when requisitions are approved by OMB to effectively prioritize recruitments by department. Currently, OMB batches requisitions and approves them on one day per week. Also, explore how OMB can preapprove new positions that are created as part of a mid -year or annual budget process versus reviewing each position individually.
Currently, the work of recruitment processing is done sequentially and would benefit from more pre-planning and critical path contemplation. For example, setting dates for interviews and selecting your panelists when you launch the recruitment reduces time at the interview stage. Using a recruitment checklist and pre-recruitment questionnaire, equip HRLs and Hiring Managers with as much information upfront to proactively plan and conduct the recruitment process. Discuss and resolve anticipated critical issues by providing advance notification to Hiring Managers and include higher- level management if needed to move issues along. MRG created a pre-recruitment questionnaire which is being deployed now to improve this process. Provide training for Hiring Managers and supervisors to clarify and explain their specific roles and responsibilities in talent management. Identify specific expectations for each stage of the recruitment process, clarify roles and responsibilities, and ensure alignment and accountability among team members.
Establishing a recruitment calendar and cheat sheets to help keep the team organized and on track, minimizing delays and oversights. Establish a large pool of City -wide panel interview experts, plus SEIU representatives, to ensure a diverse panel that is available and accessible throughout the year. Conduct annual training for panel interview experts on Unconscious Bias Training, Principles of Recruitment and Selection, etc. Develop an effective communication system to keep public information staff informed about upcoming openings to assist with posting and marketing on the City’s social media site. In the future, additional capacity and staff need to be added to the HR team to absorb these duties.
GATE 2 – Phase 3 (Marketing, Sourcing & Outreach)
Typically, a job posting remains open for 2 -4 weeks, accompanied by targeted marketing and outreach efforts. During this period, active communication with candidates is ongoing, including responding to inquiries. It's also an opportunity for proactive candidate sourcing, actively seeking out potential candidates who may not be actively job hunting but could be interested in a new opportunity.
Areas of Improvement:
Actively sourcing candidates through various channels and advertising, such as social media and professional networks, expand the candidate pool and increase the likelihood of finding the right fit for open positions. Update promotional marketing information on the City’s career pages to better tell Palo Alto’s story of being an Employer of Choice. Advertise with anticipated recruitment timelines including dates to review applications, interview dates, and expected appointment date.
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Explore a referral bonus program for general employees to incentivize current employees to actively participate in the recruitment process, tapping into their networks to identify potential candidates. This can be a financial bonus or day(s) off. Utilize LinkedIn for posting professional and management positions and searching/targeting potential candidates. Create brief videos that highlight Palo Alto’s offerings to attract and retain top talent by showcasing the value of working for Palo Alto in general and for specific departments such as utilities, public works, and public safety. (The Library Services Department is creating a video currently.) Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for using HireVue to ensure consistency and efficiency in conducting interviews, improving the candidate experience, and streamlining the selection process.
GATE 3 – Phase 4 (Screening / Application Processing) + Phase 5 (Interview, Testing & Selection)
During the screening and application process, Human Resources and/or HRLs assesses the candidate pool and screens for minimum qualifications (MQs). Qualified candidates are then forwarded to the department for review by subject matter experts. These experts evaluate candidates, rate their suitability, add notes to their profiles, and determine who progresses to the next stage. The selection process may involve practical skills assessments, phone screenings, or panel interviews conducted through platforms like HireVue, Teams, or in-person meetings. The recruiter collaborates with the Hiring Manager to decide on the selection process and develop interview questions. Additionally, the recruiter facilitates and coordinates all selection process steps and provides candidates with recruitment updates.
Areas of Improvement:
Further engage with Hiring Managers to fully partner and collaborate after initial screening and to expedite the involvement of Subject Matter Experts (SME) in the process.
At the interview stage, have all final candidates sign the release form for reference checks. Release forms that aren’t needed can be destroyed.
Alternatively, initiate a preliminary reference check for top finalists during the interview process as part of information gathering. Whenever possible, prepare draft conditional offers for initial feedback from the final candidate.
GATE 4 – Phase 6 (Finalist to Offer Letter)
At the conclusion of the recruitment, testing, and selection process, the top candidate is identified. The Hiring Manager and Depart ment Director collaborate on a salary recommendation, which is then reviewed by HR. For salary offers above the mid -range, written justification and approval from the HR Director are required.
Offers within 7% of the top of the range necessitate approval from the City Manager (recently delegated to the Assistant HR D irector). Once proper authorization is obtained, HR extends a conditional e-offer (Onboard) to the candidate, outlining pre-employment requirements such as medical, education, employment, and criminal background checks. The conditional offer letter includes an anticipated start date and salary offer. The candidate must acce pt the offer terms and complete all pre- employment requirements before receiving the final offer letter, which confirms the terms of employment and start date.
Areas of Improvement:
Reduce the time between the informal job offer and the formal job letter which was taking 2-3 weeks, addressing a major source of frustration for departments and final candidates. Recent improvements, including granting authority to the Assistant HR Director to approve compensation parameters without regular review by the City Manager or HR Director, have led to significant progress. With this change, MRG estimates a reduction to just 1-2 days. Provide advance notification to IT (weekly report) on upcoming new hires to facilitate planning of onboarding equipment and other IT needs. HR and IT will properly coordinate to expedite the issuance of employee ID numbers. (This communication has typically waited for Gate 5 which is too late in the process.) Whenever possible, prepare draft conditional offers for initial feedback from the final candidate.
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GATE 5 – Phase 7 (Pre-boarding)
After the conditional offer is accepted and the candidate fulfills all pre-employment requirements, a final offer, onboarding email, and a new hire portal are generated through Onboard. The new hire then has a few days to complete all onboarding forms via NEOGOV and subsequently meets with the recruiter for I-9 verification and review of all new hire documents. A Personnel Action Form (PAF) is initiated, with the recruiter inputting relevant information for the future employee. To ens ure completeness, Human Resources employs a New Hire Checklist, which is attached along with all supporting documentation including the requisition form, application, and new hire packet. The PAF undergoes review and sign-off by the Hiring Manager, Department Director, and HR Director. If the hire is at the Director level, the City Manager's approval is also required.
Once all necessary information is gathered and the PAF is approved by appropriate personnel, it is forwarded to another HR team (Human Resource Information System) for entry into SAP. Before the payroll entry deadline, the information is carefully reviewed to ensure accurate application of pay rates and proper implementation of any changes. Additionally, a confirmation message is sent to the H iring Manager, notifying them of the successful onboarding of the new hire.
The recruiter also provides IT links for the department to initiate equipment access requests for the new hire.
Areas of Improvement:
Recommend the use of a Strike Team to review the Pre-boarding process and find ways to reduce and streamline this process. Utilize NEOGOV more effectively through the full deployment of online OnBoard forms with more consistent follow-up. Ensure prompt setup of direct deposit. Departments communicated that direct deposit for new employees can lag one pay period which creates more work for Finance.
Provide necessary tools and resources, such as computers, keys/access cards, and ID badges, immediately upon starting, enhances efficiency and productivity.
Numerous examples of employees not having these resources until several days to a week after their arrival. As staffing allows, HR should explore if having a single point person to oversee internal preboarding processes can facilitate communication and expedite the resolution of issues.
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APPENDIX B
APPENDIX B – MARKETING STRATEGY SUMMARY & BEST PRACTICES
BUILD CONTENT,
BRANDING & MESSAGING
ACTIVATE CANDIDATE COMMUNICATION
+ UTILIZE TARGETED ADVERTISING
RESEARCH & MARKETING CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
• Understand the employee value proposition and what attracts and keeps current employees in their careers. Create and survey existing employees.
Develop branding and outreach based on survey themes.
• Custom messaging and notifications should be developed to reinforce department brands and built to attract a diverse candidate pool. • Concepts and specific analysis of DEI data will be leveraged to create detailed campaigns.
CANDIDATE COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN
• Create email and SMS follow-up campaigns for candidate leads. • These follow-up campaigns should be dependent on classification as well as current candidate status in the application process. • In addition, the communication campaigns may also include messaging from individual departments based on their hiring processes.
FOCUS GROUPS
• Focus groups to test, verify, and build acceptance of the messaging and values identified in the survey research.
• Mined messages and guidelines will be used in the creative process to guide design and ad language.
• After the focus groups are conducted, there should be meetings with key leadership to discuss findings and finalize messaging and overall brand.
DIGITAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
• Facebook/ Instagram Ad Management -- Manage Facebook and Instagram campaigns including reporting.
• Google Paid Ads Management -- Manage Google paid ads
including YouTube, Google Marketplace, and Google Search. • Indeed Paid Ads Management -- Connect Indeed ads to landing pages similar to Google and Facebook.
• Advertising Placements -- Direct spend payable to Google, Hulu, Facebook/Instagram, YouTube, and other vendor sources.
CREATE & DESIGN DIGITAL ASSETS
• Provide digital assets/designs for advertisements, banner ads, social media ads, and various other uses.
IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CAMPAIGN
• Implement and manage the proposed campaign.
• Should include weekly strategy calls, overall vendor management, and metrics tracking leveraging digital dashboards.
PROMOTIONAL VIDEO & PHOTOGRAPHY
• 60 Second, 30 Second, and four 15-second videos promoting careers. • Photography will be leveraged across all media channels, video will be added to landing pages, and YouTube promotional campaigns will also be utilized.
VIRTUAL RECRUITMENT EVENTS
• Virtual recruitment events can humanize the City and provide a connection point to the organization that lowers the fears about working in a specific department.
• Build consistency and leverage the candidate lists that are being generated through the targeted advertising as well as have a dedicated campaign focused on pushing registrations and attendees who express an interest in working for Palo Alto.
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APPENDIX C
APPENDIX C
Social Media SWOT Review
SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
Click the LINK to see full analysis
UTILITIES SOCIAL
MEDIA
FACEBOOK TWITTER (X) INSTAGRAM
1,300+ 5,057 595
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
Overall, the social strategy Palo
Alto Utilities has taken appears to
be fairly successful.
Followership is moderate across
the three platforms.
Many posts/graphics are reused and
reshared; sometimes back-to-back.
Instagram could use the most
improvement when it comes to
sizing of graphics, types of content
used, profile photo, organization
description, links, etc.
Leverage the ‘rule of thirds’ -
meaning rotate out content that is
a mix of promotional, educational,
and interactive/cultural topics.
Incorporate more diversity into the
content topics and content types.
Posting the same content at the same
times every day could result in a lack of
engagement and a reduction in followers.
Low engagement across platforms.
Organic posts are not being seen by
followers in this “pay-to-play”
environment.
GENERAL CITY SOCIAL
MEDIA
FACEBOOK TWITTER (X) INSTAGRAM
12,000+ 18,700+ 6,600+
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
Overall, the social strategy the City
of Palo Alto has taken appears to
be fairly successful.
Followership is pretty high across
the three platforms.
Weaknesses include the time-of-day
content is posted and the frequency,
sizing of content for the platforms,
length of copy, lack of hashtags, and
content diversity.
The pages need more mix of content
topics and types. Content is the
same most weeks.
Incorporate additional content
types (i.e. video, motion graphics,
infographics, stories/reels, featured
posts, carousels, collages, etc.).
Low engagement across platforms could
be due to: how often content is posted,
content is the same across platforms,
content is repeated, copy length is too
long
Not enough human element including
employee stories and accomplishments.
Organic posts are not being seen by
followers in this “pay-to-play”
environment.
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High-Level Recommendations:
• Leverage the ‘rule of thirds’ - meaning rotate out content that is a mix of promotional, educational, and interactive/cultural topics. • Incorporate additional content types (i.e. video, motion graphics, infographics, stories/reels, live videos, featured posts, articles, documents, carousels, collages, etc.).
• Incorporate additional content topics, such as:
• Incorporate other types of reels/stories into Instagram that incorporate people and social media trends, vs just the Uplift Local and Emergency Alert System, and house them as featured or pinned content on the page. • Leverage a content calendar (i.e. Excel, Trello, etc.) to help plan and schedule out posts across the three platforms. You can also plan what kind of content it will be (i.e. graphic, infographic, video, collage, etc.). • Keep up with social media trends to share fun, relatable content with audiences. • Reshare posts from (and about) Palo Alto agency posts with @ and #. • Cross-promote each of the platforms on the other channels to increase followership and incorporate advertising (Also, link to the other platforms on Facebook).
• Consider the day of the week, time of day, and frequency of posting across all three platforms (Reduce the # of posts on Facebook to about 8 posts per week).
• Keep copy length short (use bitly for long links).
• Post manually to Instagram vs from Facebook to ensure content is sized appropriately for the platform. • Reduce the number of links used on Linktree to 5-8 links vs 30+. • Use a design tool like Canva to quickly create graphics, motion graphics, infographics, and videos to use across social platforms. • Create content that keeps the user on the platform vs always directing to the website or link in the bio to learn more. • When applicable, share posts in various languages, depending on the demographics of Palo Alto (i.e. English, Spanish, Chinese, etc). • Leverage social media advertising to boost followership and promote open jobs at the organization. • Leverage brand ambassadors to help boost followership, post engagement, traffic to platforms, and help promote open positions at the organization • Update bios for consistency and update cover photos to include a human element. • Leverage the City's website, email signatures, emails, printed materials, ads, and additional social platforms to drive users to the Palo Alto social platforms.
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APPENDIX D
APPENDIX D
Secret Shopper Analysis
Click the LINK to see full analysis
SUMMARY
All Star Talents submitted an applicant in two recruitments (Equipment Maintenance Serviceperson in Public Works and Water Quality Plant Operator I / Operator Trainee in Utilities) to gain an understanding of the experience of a candidate interfacing with the recruitment process. This portion of the analysis is through the first receipt of the application.
Positive Aspects of the Application Process:
Easy job discovery on the website.
Seamless website navigation.
Clear and accessible HR contact information.
Transparent salary information presented prominently at the top. Well-defined expectations for the job outlined.
Receipt of a well-structured confirmation email.
Appreciation for the immediate follow-up in the application process.
Recommendations for Improvement:
Provide more active and regular communication with candidates to improve the candidate experience. Enhance the prominence of the benefits section on the website. Include links in the job posting for additional information and explanations. Provide further clarification on items that require more explanation, such as work schedule and PERS retirement. Add specific guidance for out-of-state applicants or those who need to travel for the position. Ensure consistent placement of contact information on every page for easy access to inquiries. Integrate a more detailed timeline of the hiring process for applicants' better understanding.
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APPENDIX E
APPENDIX E – Consultant Firms / Team Information
MRG
MRG is an experienced, full-service consulting firm dedicated to assisting client agencies in attaining their strategic goals. MRG was founded in 2009 by highly skilled and broadly experienced professionals. MRG has a team of professionals who work to address challenges for both public and private sector clients. Our consultants have extensive experience in all aspects of Organizational Assessment & Development, Human Resources, including staffing and effectiveness analyses. The MRG team is experienced in working with elected officials, agency executives, managers, and staff. MRG helps agencies rethink historic practices and delivers transformational solutions to leadership, governance, human resources, financial management, and other complex organizational needs and issues.
ALL-STAR TALENT
All-Star Talent is an experienced consulting firm that leverages marketing channels for recruiting in the public sector. All-Star Talent is the premier talent marketing and recruiting firm for the public sector with a specialty in public safety. All Star Talent delivers the following consulting expertise:
Recruitment and Retention Consultant
Candidate Tracking System
DEI Focused Solutions
Social Media & Digital Marketing
Dashboard Analytics
Video & Photography
Virtual Recruitment Events
CONSULTANT TEAM
PATTY FRANCISCO
Consultant
MRG
30 years public sector HR
Ph.D. Organizational
Leadership
Problem solver & driver
of HR solutions
MARY EGAN
Chief Executive Officer
MRG
Over 30 years
Executive Coaching,
Workplace Investigation, &
Crisis Navigation
Delivering truth to
governing boards/leaders
to solve complex problems
CATHY CAPRIOLA
Project Manager
MRG
30 years – local government
Retired City Manager
Organization Development,
Leadership, Team Coaching
Developer of people &
organizations to the next
tier
PAM HONG
Director of Operations
All Star Talent
Research and data
analytics expert
Creator of recruitment
& retention products
JASON LITCHNEY
Co-Founder
All Star Talent
20 years of marketing, PR,
& employer branding
Thought leader on public
sector employer branding
Help public agencies
compete and win the
talent game
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City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: INFORMATION REPORTS
Lead Department: Utilities
Meeting Date: May 6, 2024
Staff Report: 2403-2715
TITLE
City of Palo Alto Utilities Residential Electric and Water Utility Customer Survey Results; CEQA status: not a project.
RECOMMENDATION
This report is for informational purposes only and no action is required by the Palo Alto City Council.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Palo Alto Utilities is a member of the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) and frequently participates in surveys of utilities customers to gauge perspectives and satisfaction with how utilities operate statewide and at the local level. In fall 2023, CMUA contracted with consultant, GreatBlue Research, Inc. (GreatBlue), to survey customers of investor-owned and municipal utilities to provide CMUA members with a benchmark comparison of results year over year as it relates to topics including utility rates, utility service quality and reliability, communications, programs, and customer service. The City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) also opted-in for GreatBlue to perform an “oversample” of Palo Alto residents using the same questions as were provided in the statewide survey but also to dive deeper into Palo Alto-specific issues and interests such as City Council priorities and City policies focused on environmental sustainability and programs.
These survey results were presented to the City of Palo Alto Utilities Advisory Commission on February 7, 2024 (Staff Report 2401-25071).
BACKGROUND
Statewide residential electric and water utility customer surveys were conducted by GreatBlue in September 2023. GreatBlue received responses from a total of 1,200 utility customers from each statewide survey or 2,400 unique responses from customers. For the Palo Alto oversample, 1 Staff Report 2401-2507 https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/2/agendas-minutes- reports/agendas-minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and-minutes- 2024/02-feb-2024/02-07-2024-item-3.pdf
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GreatBlue received responses from approximately 400 residents for each of the electric and water surveys in October 2023. Electric and water utility customers were surveyed individually and were not contacted more than once for both the electric and water surveys.
GreatBlue collected data from a statistically significant, statewide random sampling of the targeted customer base. The consultant worked closely with all CMUA participants, including the City of Palo Alto, to develop and refine each survey instrument to ensure all topics of interest were addressed and to accomplish year-over-year benchmark comparisons. The specific goals, objectives, and areas of investigation were agreed to and finalized prior to survey implementation.
Survey data will be used to help utilities track statewide performance metrics, gauge interest in future programs and services, assess satisfaction locally, regionally, and statewide, and compare progress over time. Ultimately these research studies will provide CMUA member utilities, including CPAU, with actionable insights and recommendations that can be used to make decisions and better operate their organizations.
ANALYSIS
Electric Customer Survey Results
CPAU received significantly higher ratings than northern California utilities and the State of California as a whole when comparing responses between the statewide and Palo Alto oversample results. CPAU customers provided an average positive score of 70.9 percent (compared to 65.5 percent nationwide) based on a series of organizational characteristics, including providing consistent and reliable service to customers, being committed to green, renewable, or carbon neutral energy, and restoring power in a reasonable amount of time after an outage. This rating is higher than averages provided by municipal customers statewide of 62.8 percent. The Net Positive Score (NP+S) for CPAU was 82.1 percent, which is slightly higher than the national average. The net positive score is a different metric than net promoter score, in which NP+S measures advocate, loyal, satisfied and less than satisfied customers, whereas the net promoter score, or NPS, is a metric to measure likelihood to recommend a company, product, or organization, to other consumers. The CPAU NP+S score is consistent with that of customers in northern California and the State of California as a whole.
When asked how frequently CPAU meets their expectations, nearly 80 percent, or four-fifths, of customers reported their expectations are met "all" or "most of the time," which is significantly higher than the frequency of customers in northern California and in the State of California who reported the same. One of the most important characteristics that customers indicated they care about is power outage response, restoration and communication. A key finding is that the most preferred channel for outage and emergency management notifications is through "automated text messages," with the highest number of respondents choosing this option as their number one channel. Email and automated phone calls are the next most preferred channels.
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Three out of ten CPAU customers reported they already own an electric vehicle (EV), which is
21.8 percentage points higher than the frequency of customers in the State of California who reported the same. When broken down by age, at least 25 percent of customers in each age group own an EV. Customers in the age range of 55 to 64 have the highest rate of EV ownership, which is significantly higher than those aged 65 and older. The interest in buying an EV is high for all age groups, with at least 40 percent of customers in each age group being likely to make an EV purchase. However, there is significantly higher interest in purchasing an EV among customers 55 years of age and younger compared to those 65 years of age and older. When asked about barriers to purchasing an EV, CPAU customers responded: "long charge time," "limited range / distance per charge," and "higher initial cost to purchase.“ Other barriers include the "low availability of charging stations" and "low availability of EV options (makes / models)." Among those CPAU customers who currently have or plan to purchase an EV, over four-fifths reported being more likely to charge their EV during off-peak hours. As for charging station types, there is a strong preference for Level 2 chargers, with significantly more customers reporting a preference for using a Level 2 charger over a Level 1 charger. More customers who are planning to purchase an EV were unsure which charger type they would prefer than those who already own an electric vehicle. Over one-half of CPAU customers that reported a preference for Level 2 chargers indicated they are "very" or "somewhat likely" to install a Level 2 EV charger in their home if it meant it would take longer for them to charge their vehicle, but would reduce the need for CPAU to perform electric system upgrades that could be costly to them, as opposed to a faster charging system.
Two-thirds of customers indicated they "strongly" or "somewhat support" CPAU investing in electrification, with over one-third indicating they "strongly support" these investments. CPAU customers from all age groups reported consistent support for CPAU investing in electrification.
Nearly one-half of customers reported they are aware of CPAU's program for residents to switch from gas water heaters to electric heat pump water heaters. Age has a positive correlation with awareness, and the survey revealed that customers are significantly more aware of this electrification option as the respondent age increases. Over one-half of CPAU customers reported considering the purchase of any electrification products, with more customers considering a purchase of a heat pump water heater, ducted heat pump heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, or induction stove than other electrification products. While not statistically significant, respondents aged 55 to 64 years reported greater consideration of electrification products than those under 55 years of age or 65 years of age and older. Further, significantly more homeowners reported awareness of CPAU's electrification program than renters.
CPAU respondents provided higher ratings than customers across northern California, the State of California, and nationwide for ten of the eleven organizational characteristics that seem most important to customers. The top-rated characteristics among CPAU customers are "providing consistent and reliable electric service to customers," "restoring power in a reasonable amount Item 17
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of time after an outage," "providing good service and value for the cost of electricity," and "maintaining modern and reliable infrastructure.” Conversely, customers placed less importance on CPAU "communicating with customers," "offering innovative programs and services," and their "community involvement.“
Two-thirds of CPAU customers responded that their electric rates are "very reasonable" or "somewhat reasonable," which is consistent with customers in northern California and the national average, and slightly higher than the State of California as a whole.
CPAU customers who had a recent customer service interaction provided high ratings for the representative they spoke with, including “being courteous to you and treating you with respect,” “understanding your problem or need,” and “explaining things you needed to know about your problem.” CPAU customers reported a significantly higher average positive rating for the customer service representative they spoke with than customers in Northern California and the State of California.
Among CPAU customers, the top reasons for contacting their utility were to "report an outage," discuss a "high bill," and ask a "question on bill (not a complaint)." The most common methods for contacting CPAU were by telephone, CPAU's website, visiting the office or service center, and email. When looking at the difference between traditional contact methods (phone call, in- person visits) and digital methods (website visit, email, text message, smart phone app, or social media comment), significantly more customers reported utilizing traditional methods of contact than digital methods.
Over three-fifths of customers reported a preference for receiving information from CPAU through email, followed by bill inserts and direct mail. Significantly more CPAU customers prefer digital channels (website, email, social media, mobile app, and text message) than traditional channels (TV, radio, newspaper, bill inserts, and direct mail). Customers 65 years of age or older reported a preference for receiving information through traditional channels than those under 55 years of age, and conversely significantly more customers under 55 years of age reported a preference for receiving information through digital channels than those 65 years of age or older.
Water Customer Survey Results
CPAU water utility customers provided an average positive rating of 78.9 percent (compared to
67.0 percent statewide) based on a series of organizational characteristics similar to the electric utility related to quality, service, reliability, communication, rates, and customer service.
Customers provided a NP+S (advocates + loyal + satisfied customers) score of 87.4 percent. Of note, over one-quarter of customers (28.1 percent) reported being either an advocate of or a loyal customer of CPAU.
CPAU received the highest ratings for "maintaining an adequate supply of water," and received higher ratings than customers in northern California and the State of California as a whole for this characteristic. Of CPAU customers, 85 percent indicated that the utility meets their expectations Item 17
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all or most of the time. More than 80 percent of customers reported being satisfied with their most recent customer service experience.
Nearly one-half of water utility customers indicated they "try hard to use less water but could probably do a little more," while nearly two-fifths indicated they are "already doing everything I possibly can to use less water." Significantly more customers who rent their residence indicated they "try not to waste water but I do not focus very much on the amount of water I use" compared to homeowners.
Among customers, the top reasons for contacting CPAU were for a "billing question," "high bill or consumption call," "general maintenance" or a "water leak / broken pipe." The most common methods for contacting CPAU were by phone, email, and visiting CPAU's website. Over four-fifths of water utility customers reported a preference for receiving information from their utility through email, followed by direct mail and then the CPAU website. As a whole, customers indicate a preference for digital communication channels (website, email, social media, and text message) significantly more than traditional channels (TV, radio, and direct mail). Customers from all age groups reported a significantly greater preference for receiving information through digital channels than through traditional channels.
Customers provided an average positive score of 78.9 percent when rating CPAU on a series of organizational characteristics, which was significantly higher than the average positive ratings provided by customers from both the northern region and throughout the State of California.
Customers rated "monitoring water quality," "maintaining an adequate supply of water," and "providing good service and value for the cost of water," as the most important organizational characteristics to them. Conversely, customers placed less importance on their utility "valuing its customers and being committed to providing excellent customer service," "communicating effectively with customers," and their "community involvement." When asked how frequently their utility meets their expectations, over four-fifths of customers reported their expectations are met "all" or "most of the time." Notably, significantly more customers indicated CPAU meets their expectations "all" or "most of the time" than customers in northern California or the State of California. Customers who had a recent customer service interaction provided the highest positive ratings for the representative "being courteous to you and treating you with respect." Customers provided a significantly higher average positive rating for their customer service experiences than compared to northern California utilities and customers in the State of California as a whole. Over one-half of customers indicated CPAU's customer service is among the best or above average, with one-half of customers indicating they are "among the best" compared to other service providers, such as banks, the telephone or cable company, or other utilities.
Over two-fifths of customers indicated they are familiar with the "WaterSmart Home Water Report Program," the "Landscape Rebate Program" and "Landscape Workshops." Close to 90 percent of customers responded that their utility provides them data or a report of how much Item 17
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water their household used in the prior bill period. Of these respondents, nearly three-quarters indicated they find this data or report helpful. Slightly more renters who receive a household water consumption report indicated this report is helpful than homeowners who receive a similar report.
Over two-thirds of customers indicated they would find "materials on specific ways to reduce your household's water use at no cost to you" useful, while nearly three-fifths reported they would find it useful to have a reading of how much water their household is using compared to other households in the neighborhood. Of note, slightly more customers who own their residence indicated they would find materials on ways to reduce water use to be useful than those who rent their household.
Over four-fifths of customers reported a preference for receiving information from their utility through email, followed by direct mail and the CPAU website. As a whole, customers prefer digital channels (website, email, social media, and text message) significantly more than traditional channels (TV, radio, and direct mail). Customers from all age groups reported a significantly greater preference for receiving information through digital channels than through traditional channels.
Key Findings from Survey Responses
Results of these studies suggest that it is important for CPAU to elevate and optimize its online presence. This involves ensuring the website is not only user-friendly and mobile-responsive but also provides seamless access to critical information, including important updates, educational content, and avenues for customer inquiries and feedback. By prioritizing digital channels, CPAU can efficiently communicate essential updates, such as company operations and policies, while also creating opportunities to promote awareness of forthcoming programs and rebates. Staff will continue to seek out opportunities to reach utility customers in the most efficient and effective way for them to receive information on important programs, projects, and initiatives.
As it relates to the electric utility, implementation of the City’s new outage management system (OMS), which enables automated notifications to customers, will improve communication efforts for power outages and electrical incidents. CPAU staff will strive to communicate more broadly about its operations and efforts to maintain and upgrade its infrastructure and systems to support technological innovations, such as beneficial electrification and advanced metering infrastructure.
By recognizing variations in customer behavior and responses, CPAU can strategically target outreach efforts to ensure homeowners, renters, businesses, and other customer groups, have access to resources tailored to their specific concerns about utility usage, efficiency, and sustainability. This inclusive approach will foster a collective commitment to environmental sustainability throughout the community, regardless of housing, economic, or other demographic statuses.
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FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Funding of $23,000 is available in the FY 2024 Electric and Water operating budgets for the statewide residential electric and water customer satisfaction and Palo Alto oversampling surveys of Council priorities.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
CPAU staff were consulted to review and provide input to these statewide and oversample customer surveys. City of Palo Alto residential electric and water utility customers were contacted to gather responses to these surveys.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The surveys are categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
ATTACHMENTS
None
APPROVED BY:
Dean Batchelor, Director of Utilities
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City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: INFORMATION REPORTS
Lead Department: Public Works
Meeting Date: May 6, 2024
Report #:2312-2377
TITLE
Update on the Deconstruction and Construction Materials Management Ordinance (Ordinance 5472, Palo Alto Municipal Code Title 5, Chapter 5.24); CEQA Status – Not a Project
RECOMMENDATION
This is an informational report only and no Council action is required.
BACKGROUND
In August 2018, Council accepted the 2018 Zero Waste Plan.1 The plan contained 48 initiatives to help the City meet its sustainability and climate action goals. In June 2019, Council approved the Deconstruction and Construction Materials Management Ordinance2 (Deconstruction Ordinance, Ordinance 5472/ PAMC Title 5, Chapter 5.24,) with the effective date of July 1, 2020. The ordinance implements the following key initiatives of the 2018 Zero Waste Plan:
•Initiative #1, Require Deconstruction and Source Separation of Construction Materials •Initiative #2, Direct Mixed Construction Materials to High Diversion Construction Materials Recycling Facilities
•Initiative #4, Construction Project Recycling Technical Assistance In addition, implementing and expanding the Deconstruction Ordinance is a key action identified in the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan Goals and Key Actions accepted by Council in October 2022.2
The Deconstruction Ordinance applies to all residential and commercial projects undergoing a whole structure demolition and requiring a deconstruction permit on or after July 1, 2020. The objectives of the ordinance are to 1) increase salvage/reuse to the highest extent possible and 1 2018 Zero Waste Plan https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/zero-waste/zero-waste-website- files/2018-zero-waste-plan.pdf
2 City Council, September 27, 2022; Agenda Item #10; SR #14606 https://www.cityofpaloalto.org//files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/city-manager-reports- cmrs/2022/id.-14606-scap-update-reach-code-changes-and-advanced-hpwh-program.pdf Item 18
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2) increase the amount and quality of recyclable materials from all construction and demolition projects, beginning with whole structure deconstruction projects.
Palo Alto’s Deconstruction Ordinance is the first of its kind in the United States that covers all commercial and residential projects undergoing whole structure removal regardless of the age of the buildings. Although some deconstruction projects occurred voluntarily in the City prior to the ordinance, the requirements and process were new to most permit applicants and contractors. During the development of the ordinance, staff estimated based on historical data that the ordinance would affect approximately 114 projects annually (100 residential and 14 commercial). Staff developed outreach and education materials explaining the ordinance requirements which were made available and sent to stakeholders prior to the ordinance effective date on July 1, 2020.
Staff presented previous years’ implementation updates to City Council for Fiscal Year 20213 and for Fiscal Year 2022.4
ANALYSIS
Staff continues to conduct outreach and educate homeowners, general contractors, and architects when building permit applications are submitted to provide information on the ordinance requirements. Staff proactively schedules video conference calls to explain the ordinance and answer questions from the applicants and their contractors. When the deconstruction permits are issued, staff reaches out again to meet the general contractors and subcontractors hired for deconstruction onsite to review the requirements, walk through the property together, and ensure expectations are communicated. During deconstruction, staff inspects each project site multiple times to document progress, reiterates requirements for source separation and hauling of single stream materials, and addresses any concerns observed.
The City’s Development Center received 78 building permit applications for projects that involved whole structure demolition (65 residential and 13 commercial) covered under the Deconstruction Ordinance in Fiscal Year 2023, and received 74 permit applications in Fiscal Year 2022 (74 residential and 0 commercial). As summarized in Graph 1, there were 78 building permit applications in Fiscal Year 2023, the City issued 44 deconstruction permits (42 residential and 2 commercial), and 41 buildings were removed (40 residential and 1 commercial). This is a decrease from Fiscal Year 2022 when the City issued 60 deconstruction permits and 57 buildings were removed (55 residential and 2 commercial). Staff expects the number of building permit applications to increase in Fiscal Year 2024 based on the increased number of permit 3 City Council, January 24, 2022; Agenda Item #16; SR #13782 https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/city-manager-reports- cmrs/2022/id.-13782-deconstruction-ordinance-implementation-update.pdf 4 City Council, December 19, 2022; Agenda Item #23; SR #14836 https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/cmr-14836.pdf Item 18
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applications already submitted, and the economy’s and development industry’s continued trajectory to recovery.
Graph 1: Fiscal Year 2023 Deconstruction Permit Application and Project Status Table 1 below summarizes the tonnages generated from the residential projects that completed permit documentation and had the whole structures removed in Fiscal Year 2023.
The tonnages of materials were documented in the Green Halo Systems, a waste management tracking tool for development projects required by the Planning and Development Services Department. Graph 2 provides a visual of the percentage of material categories from these projects. In summary, the salvaged materials recovered for reuse (mostly lumber, cabinets, doors, and windows) accounted for seven percent of the materials from the 33 complete residential projects with completed documentations in the Green Halo System, and only eight percent of the materials were landfilled. Examples of materials landfilled included insulation and painted wood. Materials recovered for recycling included clean wood debris, drywall and concrete. This is consistent with Fiscal Year 2022, when approximately 3,635 tons of materials were created and 251 tons, or seven percent, were salvaged for reuse.
Table 1: Fiscal Year 2023 Residential Deconstruction Tonnage Tonnage Percentage (%)
Salvaged for Reuse 251 7%
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Recycled 880 24%
Concrete Recycled 2,221 61%
Landfilled 283 8%
Total 3,635
Graph 2: Fiscal Year 2023 Residential Deconstruction Tonnage Percentages Concrete is a heavy material with very high recyclability in the range of 95 to 99 percent. The common practice to manage concrete and other inert materials at most of the deconstruction projects is to separate and haul it as a single material for recycling. In Fiscal Year 2023, 2,316 tons of concrete were generated from the 33 residential projects, where 2,221 tons, or 95.9 percent, were recycled. Table 2 and Graph 3 below summarize the tonnages excluding concrete to provide a different perspective and focus on the management of the rest of the building materials. This focused analysis more accurately reflects the efforts and results to separate traditionally mixed waste at the deconstruction projects as required by the ordinance.
Table 2: Fiscal Year 2023 Residential Deconstruction Tonnage Excluding Concrete
Tonnage Percentage (%)
Salvaged for Reuse 251 19%
Recycled 880 67%
Landfilled 189 14%
Total 1,320
Salvage
7%
Recycled
24%
Concrete
Recycled
61%
Landfilled
8%
Residential Deconstruction Projects Tonnage
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Graph 3: Fiscal Year 2023 Residential Deconstruction Tonnage Percentages Excluding Concrete
Staff conducts continuous communication, outreach, and education with the stakeholders involved in each covered project. Staff also oversees, documents, and addresses instances of noncompliance. The most common form of noncompliance is improper sorting of waste into single material types.
In Fiscal Year 2023, staff proactively worked with the project team of a commercial project where the structure was planned for complete removal and considered a covered project under the ordinance. Despite multiple conversations, meetings, and coordination attempts initiated by staff to assist the project team to fully understand and comply with all aspects of the ordinance requirements, the structure was rapidly demolished, and materials were not source separated as required by the municipal code. Staff issued a citation to the permit applicant to address the violations observed. Staff is evaluating the enforcement plan and appropriate penalties to be assessed to deter future incidents of non-compliance.
In Fiscal Year 2024, staff continues to implement requirements, monitor covered projects, and emphasize better onsite source separation for all active and upcoming deconstruction projects.
Staff will also update outreach material and incorporate a feedback mechanism for project owners and stakeholders to acknowledge their understanding of all related ordinance requirements. With the ordinance now having been in place since July 2020, staff is also working with a consultant to conduct an evaluation of the Deconstruction Ordinance’s cost and effectiveness.
Salvage
19%
Recycled
67%
Landfilled
14%
Residential Deconstruction Project Tonnage
(excluding concrete)
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FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
The primary resource impact is staff time for project site visits, documentation, and communication with stakeholders including virtual meetings and onsite meetings with project owners and contractors. Staff spends approximately 9 staff hours for each project. Staff also spends time and resources on collaboration across different City departments and with industry representatives. In Fiscal Year 2023, this effort totaled approximately 0.33 full time equivalents of staff time or 700 hours annually.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Outreach and education were conducted prior to when the Deconstruction Ordinance was implemented, which included direct communication with stakeholders of upcoming and active deconstruction projects. Engagement is ongoing through documents, emails, webpage, online and onsite meetings that emphasize reuse and source separation requirements for all active and upcoming deconstruction projects. Staff is also involved in regional, statewide, and nationwide efforts via working groups that focus on deconstruction, reuse, market development, and construction, demolition, and deconstruction debris management.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This report is for informational purposes only with no action required by the Council and is therefore not a project subject to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.
APPROVED BY:
Brad Eggleston, Director Public Works/City Engineer
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