City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: City Manager
Meeting Date: May 27, 2025
Report #:2503-4328
TITLE
Approval of Contract Amendment Number 4 to Contract #S20178065 with OIR Group, in the Amount of $40,000 and for a one-year extension to continue Independent Police Auditing Services in Palo Alto. CEQA Status – Not a Project.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council approve and authorize the City Manager or designee to execute Amendment No. 4 to Contract #20178065 with OIR Group (Attachment A) to extend the contract through June 30, 2026, and add $40,000 for the continuation of independent police auditing services in Palo Alto. This amendment results in a revised total contract not-to- exceed amount of $272,500.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Since 2006, Palo Alto has utilized an Independent Police Auditor (IPA) to conduct secondary review of defined investigations of uniformed Police Department personnel and provide related services. Since the inception of the IPA program, the City has contracted with the Office of Independent Review (OIR Group), to provide these services. Michael Gennaco and Stephen Connolly, the principals of OIR Group, are the OIR staff who provide these services to Palo Alto.
The City last issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for independent police auditing services in 2019, and three firms submitted proposals. The contract has been amended three times to date. Staff is extending this current agreement to allow time to perform an RFP process as it has been some time since the last RFP for this service.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
This contract amendment adds $40,000 to this contract to cover the activities to be done between July 2025 and June 2026. The IPA contract is administered through the City Manager’s Office in partnership with the City Clerk’s Office and funded through the City Council budget.
The Fiscal Year 2025 Adopted budget and the Fiscal Year 2026 proposed budget include funding
for the existing contract services. The funding for the amendment will come from the City Council Operations Contract Services budget.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The public has an opportunity to engage with the Independent Police Auditor with the City Council twice per year when the IPA does a study session with the Council. Additionally, members of the public can send information directly to the IPA at the contact information on the Independent Police Auditor webpage:
(https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/Police/Accountability/Independent-Police-Auditor).
No specific engagement was done for this contract amendment.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Not a project
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: OIR Group Contract Amendment No. 4 – Contract S20178065 APPROVED BY:
Ed Shikada, City Manager