City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: City Manager
Meeting Date: January 13, 2025
Report #:2412-3924
TITLE
Approval of recommendations on process for the priority setting 2025 Council Annual Retreat as recommended by the Policy & Services Committee
RECOMMENDATION
The Policy & Services Committee and staff recommend City Council approve the process for the priority setting 2025 Annual Retreat. This includes recommending the 2025 Mayor not make Councilmember appointments to City Ad Hoc Committees prior to the Annual Retreat, and that the City Council forgo substantive review of the City Council Procedures and Protocols Handbook given significant edits made in 2024, with the exception of minor edits to section 7(b) Priorities Background and Definition.
BACKGROUND
The Council Handbook establishes the Annual Council Priorities process, including the role of the Policy & Services Committee. Section 7.b.6 states that “If needed, the Policy and Services Committee, each year at its December meeting, shall make recommendations about the process that will be used at the Annual Retreat paying particular attention to the number of priorities suggested by Councilmembers. The recommended process is to be forwarded to Council for adoption in advance of the Council retreat.” The current Council Priorities are:
•Economic Development and Transition
•Climate Change and the Natural Environment: Protection and Adaptation •Housing for Social and Economic Balance
•Community Health, Safety, Wellness & Belonging
ANALYSIS
At its December 10, 2024 meeting1, the Policy and Services Committee (P&S) reviewed the 2024 Council Priorities and proposed 2025 priority setting process for reviewing and selecting Council priorities. Per the Handbook process, the Policy & Services Committee recommends to the Council, which suggestions if any, should be considered at the Annual Retreat. Attachment A includes responses from the survey on Council Priority recommendations. Chair Kou recommended the Council consider edits to the Climate Change Priority as suggested by Councilmember Veenker: “Climate and Sustainability Action and Adaptation (our goal is not Climate Change, it is Climate Action).”
Standing and Ad Hoc Committees as resources to advance Council Priorities Discussion The P&S Committee discussed the use of various ad hocs in 2024 that helped advance Council Priorities. On December 16, the City Council also engaged in a Study Session to report out the progress made via the seven ad hocs (Retail, Stanford, Housing, Climate Action, Rail, Cubberley, and El Camino Real). While acknowledging the good work done through these ad hoc Committees, the P&S Committee also recognized the challenges of time management and supporting seven ad hocs in addition to the Council‘s standing committees (Finance, Policy & Services, Council Appointed Officers, and City/Schools Liaison).
Staff reported that the current committee structure presents several challenges. First, the scope and purpose of some ad hoc Committees have evolved to address broad subject areas rather than specific topics. This development is not aligned with the purpose of ad hocs as outlined in the Council Handbook, and creates the need to follow Brown Act procedures.
Second, this broad focus has led to an indefinite duration for many ad hocs, which is a workload management challenge. Finally, much of the work funneled to ad hocs could be addressed within existing Standing Committees, ensuring that the nature of the work aligns with organizational priorities and makes better use of staff resources and capacity.
The P&S Committee recommended that, at its Annual Retreat, the Council discuss the role of ad hocs and specific priorities for conducting the Council’s business in 2025 To enable the discussion as outlined above, the Policy & Services Committee recommended the 2025 Mayor not make appointments to City Ad Hoc Committees prior to the Annual Retreat.
City Council Procedures and Protocols Handbook Edits
Section 8.1 Annual Review and Update of the Handbook, directs the Policy and Services Committee to review and update the Procedures and Protocols Handbook and make recommendations to Council. Given the extensive update to the Handbook in 2024, the Policy 1 Policy & Services Committee Meeting 12/10/2024:
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=14557 & Services Committee recommends that the Council forgo significant updates, and instead recommend that the Council consider minor updates to Section 7(b) titled Priorities Background and Definition to reflect the following edits:
•Remove language limiting priorities to three years
•Remove “unusual” from the definition of priorities
The Committee felt that the edits reflected the Council’s current practice and definition of the word Priority. Attachment B includes the redline edit to the Handbook.
Council Annual Retreat
The Policy & Services Committee recommends that the Council follow a similar Annual Retreat agenda as last year and include the following elements:
a. Councilmember visioning for 2025
b. Discussion and Approval of 2025 Priorities
c. Key Community engagement needed to advance the Council Priorities, including ad hoc Committees
d. Refer to Policy and Services Committee Consideration of Performance Measures Associated with Priorities
e. Resources needed to support
A proposed agenda is included in Attachment C for Council consideration.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
No Additional resource impacts are expected at this time. This discussion will inform the Annual Council Retreat, which is scheduled for January 25, 2025. This item has been placed on the City Council consent calendar given unanimous approval by the P&S Committee. Should Council members wish to discuss the item by pulling it from consent, staff will be prepared to support discussion at the January 13 meeting.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Staff sought input from City Council, including the newly elected, on priority area recommendations and will seek input from the community via Open Town Hall survey in December. The public will also have an opportunity to provide feedback during the Council retreat, as well as send direct emails to Council.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This is not considered a project as defined by CEQA and no review is required.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Council and Council-elect Survey Responses on 2025 Priorities Attachment B: City Council Procedures and Protocols Handbook Redline Edits Attachment C: Proposed 2025 Council Annual Retreat Agenda APPROVED BY:
Ed Shikada, City Manager