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City Council
Staff Report
Report Type: ACTION ITEMS
Lead Department: City Manager
Meeting Date: March 10, 2025
Report #:2502-4211
TITLE
Approval of the 2025 City Council Priority Objectives, as well as Committee Objectives and Workplans. CEQA Status -- Not a Project. (Item Continued from February 24, 2025 City Council Meeting)
This item is a continuation of Agenda Item # 10 on the City Council February 24, 2025 agenda. The original report and materials may be found here:
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=15969
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve: (a) 2025 City Council Priority Objectives, and (b) Committee Objectives and Workplans
BACKGROUND
On January 25, 2025, the City Council held its annual retreat to discuss and establish the 2025 Council Priorities. The City Council Protocols and Procedures Handbook defines a priority as a topic that will receive significant attention during the year. The City Council established the following Priorities for 2025:
•Economic Development & Retail Vibrancy
•Climate Action and Adaptation & the Natural Environment Protection •Implementing Housing Strategies for Social and Economic Balance •Public Safety, Wellness & Belonging
As has been the City’s practice for the past few years, staff has followed the City Council approval of its priorities by developing and recommending for City Council approval a set of objectives to advance each priority throughout the calendar year.
These objectives reflect “SMARTIE” principles - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound, Inclusive, and Equitable. These Objectives primarily consist of City Council actions and engagement and where significant staff resources are required throughout the calendar year to further the Priorities. City Council engagement may include a variety of forms, such as
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City Council approval, committee/council ad hoc review and recommendations, legislative advocacy, regional board/committee representation, and budgetary actions. Using the 2024 City Council Priorities and Objectives as a baseline, along with department proposed and City Council suggested objectives during its Annual Retreat, staff has evaluated and included a proposed list for City Council consideration in 2025.
In addition to City Council Priorities and Objectives, the City Council evaluates progress on topics and issues of interest through the approval of Committee objectives, both for standing and ad hoc committees. These are also included for consideration and approval.
ANALYSIS
The proposed 2025 City Council Priority Objectives lists a total of 68 objectives, compared to last year’s 78. Attachment A includes the summary table with the following elements to help guide the City Council in its decision making:
Carryforward/Revised/New- Objectives annotated by (C) are objectives that are carried over from the 2024 list. (R) are objectives from the 2024 list that may have a second phase to the project and have been revised to reflect 2025 goals. The number designation from the 2024 workplan is shown in parentheses. New Objectives (N) reflect a project that is new in 2025.
Objective Description- Summarizes the activity to be accomplished in calendar year 2025, and if needed, a brief sentence describing the project. Once approved, a more thorough description of the project and milestones will return to City Council at a later meeting.
Estimated Completion- Reflects the 2025 calendar quarter in which the Objective is expected to be completed, subject to change. Q1 is January-March, Q2 is April-June, Q3 is July- September, and Q4 is October-December.
City Council Priority Crossover- Identifies objectives that advance more than one City Council Priority.
Funding Needed- Reflects a project that requires additional resources (staffing, capital investment, or professional services) to achieve and complete the activity beyond current budgeted levels. $ - up to 50K, $$ - 51-400K, $$$ - 500K+. Additional resources will be considered for inclusion in the 2025-26 annual budget.
Staff Not Recommended- For a variety of reasons, any objectives that may have been carried over from last year or suggested during the Annual Retreat that staff is not recommending be considered in 2025 are identified in Attachment B.
Committee Objectives
The City Council retreat provided an opportunity to engage in a “big picture” discussion of what the City Council would like to achieve over the year, and how the City’s decision-making 6 6
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structure should be used to this end. The City Council selected its ad hoc committees for 2025, with the understanding that these committees will adhere to Brown Act requirements:
•Retail Ad Hoc Committee
•Rail Ad Hoc Committee
•Cubberley Ad Hoc Committee
•Climate Action & Sustainability Ad Hoc Committee
Based on the City Council action, staff has drafted Objectives for each of these committees and are provided in Attachment C. In drafting these recommended Objectives, staff used the principles presented at the City Council retreat:
•Ad hocs facilitate efficient Council meetings by vetting complex topics in advance •Priorities and assignments, including ad hoc missions (objectives), will be made by the full Council to ensure transparent management of resources •Ad hoc recommendations proceed directly to the full Council, not heard by more than one committee
•Recommendations from ad hocs will be developed in public Objectives for the perennial Council Appointed Officers Committee and City/Schools Liaison Committee are also included in Attachment C.
Recommended workplans for the standing Policy & Services Committee and Finance Committee are provided in Attachments D and E.
As work proceeds over the year, it is likely that changes to committee objectives may be desired. Staff or committees may recommend such changes for City Council approval at any point during the year.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
City Council approval of Priority Objectives does not have an immediate fiscal impact; however, resources will need to be allocated to implement Council Priorities. Opportunities to allocate resources to projects include the FY 2026 annual budget process, with adoption scheduled for June 2025. In addition, the City Council may amend the budget throughout the year.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
City Council, community and stakeholder engagement is a key area of focus that is woven into the workplans to implement the proposed City Council objectives contained in this report.
The City uses the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) as a guide to structure community participation and align that participation with the type of input or feedback needed based on the project/issue. Workplan engagement typically fit within these general focus areas- 6 6
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Inform: Fact sheets, webpages, blog posts, information sessions, open houses, frequently asked questions, community briefings, and website feedback forms Consult & Involve: Surveys, focus groups, questions and answer sessions, office hours, public meetings like community meetings, town halls, panel discussions, workshops, and polling Collaborate & Empower: Working groups, ad hoc groups, feedback groups, boards, commissions and committee meetings, community advisory panels, advisory groups, digital engagement platforms, and voter ballot measures
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
City Council action on this item is not a project as defined by CEQA because the City Council discussion on 2025 Priority and Committee Objectives are a continuing administrative or maintenance activity. CEQA Guidelines section 15378 (b)(2).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Proposed 2025 City Council Priority Objectives Attachment B: 2025 Staff Not Recommended Objectives
Attachment C: Committee Objectives
Attachment D: 2025 Policy & Services Committee Workplan Attachment E: 2025 Finance Committee Workplan
APPROVED BY:
Ed Shikada, City Manager