CITY COUNCIL
ACTION MINUTES
Regular Meeting
February 2, 2026
The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Council Chambers and by virtual teleconference at 5:30 P.M.
Present In Person: Burt, Lauing, Lu, Lythcott-Haims, Reckdahl, Stone, Veenker Present Remotely:
Absent:
Sp
ecial Orders of the Day
1. Proclamation Honoring Christopher Fujimoto for 25 Years of Service to the City of Palo Alto
NO ACTION
C
losed Session
2. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL—EXISTING LITIGATION
Subject: Sami Gerges vs Yolanda Franco Clausen, City of Palo Alto, Santa Clara County Superior Court
Case No. 25CV473428
Authority: Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1)
MOTION: Council member Lu moved, seconded by Council member Lauing to go into Closed Session.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
Council went into Closed Session at 5:39 P.M.
Council returned from Closed Session at 6:05 P.M.
Mayor Veenker announced no reportable action.
Docusign Envelope ID: BDC53469-B73B-489A-8EE2-F06535EB2565
ACTION MINUTES
Sp. City Council Meeting
Action Minutes: 02/02/2026
Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions
P
ublic Comment
C
ouncil Member Questions, Comments and Announcements
St
udy Session
3. 44 and 88 Encina Avenue [25PLN -00308]. Request for Council Prescreening to Rezone the Subject Properties from Community Commercial (CC) to Planned Community/Planned Home Zoning (PC/PHZ) and to Allow Construction of 158 Units and 315 Parking Spaces in Two Seven -Story Structures. The Formal Application Will be Subject to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Review. Zoning District: CC (Community Commercial).
NO ACTION
C
onsent Calendar
MOTION: Vice Mayor Stone moved, seconded by Councilmember Reckdahl to approve Agenda Item Numbers 4-6.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
4. Approval of Minutes from January 12, January 15, and January 20, 2026 Meetings
5. Approve and Authorize the City Manager to Execute an MOU Between the City of Palo Alto and the County of Santa Clara to Support the City's Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) Program for a Term of Five Years and a Not -To-Exceed Amount of $1.4 Million and Approval of a Budget Amendment in the General Fund and Stanford University Medical Center Fund; CEQA status - not a project.
6. SECOND READING: Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending Chapter
4.54 (“Massage Establishments”) and Chapter 4.56 (Hot Tub/Sauna Establishments) of Title 4 (Business Licenses and Regulations) (FIRST READING: January 12, 2025, PASSED 7 - 0)
Docusign Envelope ID: BDC53469-B73B-489A-8EE2-F06535EB2565
ACTION MINUTES
Sp. City Council Meeting
Action Minutes: 02/02/2026
City Manager Comments
Ed Shikada, City Manager
Ac
tion Items
7. Approval of FY 2026 Architectural Review Board, Historic Resources Board, Planning and Transportation Commission, and Utilities Advisory Commission Work Plans; CEQA status– not a project
MOTION: Councilmember Burt moved, seconded by Council member Reckdahl to approve the Architectural Review Board, Historic Resources Board, Planning and Transportation Commission, and Utilities Advisory Commission Fiscal Year 2026 Work Plans with the following amendments:
Planning and Transportation Commission:
• Add a reference to SB79 as a project.
Utilities Advisory Commission:
• Add project to propose specific goals for reliability.
Architectural Review Board:
• Add a reference to SB79 as a project.
• Endorse recommendation to expand the objective standards of residential to townhomes.
• Endorse efforts to coordinate and streamline work between the Historic Resources Board and Architectural Review Board , and Planning and Transportation Commission.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
8. Review the 2024 Greenhouse Gas Inventory and S/CAP Key Performance Indicators Annual Progress Report, and Approve the 2026 -2027 S/CAP Work Plan and Receive Six S/CAP Studies Recommended by the Climate Action and Sustainability Committee; CEQA Status: Review GHG Inventory and Key Performance Indicators: Not a Project; Potential Environmental Impacts of the S/CAP Work Plan were Studied in the June 5, 2023 S/CAP Docusign Envelope ID: BDC53469-B73B-489A-8EE2-F06535EB2565
ACTION MINUTES
Sp. City Council Meeting
Action Minutes: 02/02/2026
Addendum to the 2017 -2031 Comprehensive Plan EIR; this Project is also Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15183
Agenda Item Number 8 not heard and deferred to a future City Council Meeting date.
Ad
journment: The meeting was adjourned at 8:41 P.M.
AT
TEST: APPROVED:
____________________ ____________________
City Clerk Mayor
NOTE: Action minutes are prepared in accordance with Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC)
2.04.160(a) and (b). Summary minutes (sense) are prepared in accordance with PAMC Section
2.04.160(c). Beginning in January 2018, in accordance with Ordinance No. 5423, the City Council found action minutes and the video/audio recordings of Council proceedings to be the official records of both Council and committee proceedings. These recordings are available on the City’s website.
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Certificate Of Completion
Envelope Id: BDC53469-B73B-489A-8EE2-F06535EB2565
Status: Completed
Subject: February 2, 2026 Action Minutes
Source Envelope:
Document Pages: 4
Signatures: 2
Envelope Originator:
Certificate Pages: 2
Initials: 0
Christine Prior
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Time Zone: (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
250 Hamilton Ave
Palo Alto , CA 94301
[email protected]
IP Address: 165.225.242.103
Record Tracking
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2/24/2026 8:58:58 AM
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Vicki Veenker
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City of Palo Alto
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Mahealani Ah Yun
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City Clerk
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