COUNCIL APPOINTED OFFICER COMMITTEE
Special Meeting
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Community Meeting Room & Hybrid
3:30 PM
All
Council
Committee
meetings
will
be
held
as
“hybrid”
meetings
with
the
option
to
attend
by
teleconference/video
conference
or
in
person.
Information
on
how
the
public
may
observe
and
participate
in
the
meeting
is
located
at
the
end
of
the
agenda.
The
meeting
will
be
broadcast
on
Cable
TV
Channel
76,
live
on
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/cityofpaloalto
,
and
streamed
to Midpen Media Center
https://midpenmedia.org
.
VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION
CLICK HERE TO JOIN
(
https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/89296018574
)
Meeting ID: 892 9601 8574 Phone: 1(669)900-6833
PUBLIC COMMENTS
General
Public
Comment
for
items
not
on
the
agenda
will
be
accepted
in
person
for
up
to
three
minutes
or
an
amount
of
time
determined
by
the
Chair.
General
public
comment
will
be
heard
for
30 minutes.
Additional
public
comments,
if
any,
will
be
heard
at
the
end
of
the
agenda.
Public
comments
for
agendized
items
will
be
accepted
both
in
person
and
via
Zoom
for
up
to
three
minutes
or
an
amount
of
time
determined
by
the
Chair.
Requests
to
speak
will
be
taken
until
5 minutes
after
the
staff’s
presentation
or
as
determined
by
the
Chair.
Written
public
comments
can
be
submitted
in
advance
to
and
will
be
provided
to
the
Council
and
available
for
inspection
on
the
City’s
website.
Please
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agenda
item
you
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referencing
in
your
subject
line.
Multiple
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wish
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Spokespersons
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or
more
verified
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are
present
either
in
person
or
via
zoom.
Spokespeople
will
be
allowed
up
to
10 minutes,
at
the
discretion
of
the
presiding
officer.
Speaking
time
may
be
reduced
if
the
presiding officer reduces the speaking time for individual speakers.
PowerPoints,
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or
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comment
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only
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to
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least
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meeting.
Once
received,
the
Clerk
will
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public
comment
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than
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by
3 feet
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similar/other
type
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handle
objects
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prohibited;
(2)
the
items
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facility,
fire,
or
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hazard;
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(3)
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with
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and
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raise
the
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above
shoulder
level,
obstruct
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view
or
passage
of other attendees, or otherwise disturb the business of the meeting.
1 May 14, 2026
Materials submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.paloalto.gov/agendas
.
CALL TO ORDER
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Members of the public may speak in-person ONLY to any item NOT on the agenda. 1-3 minutes depending on number of speakers. Public Comment is limited to 30 minutes. Additional public comments, if any, will be heard at the end of the agenda.
ACTION ITEM
1. Review and discuss the Council Appointed Officers (CAO) performance evaluation process and timeline for FY26 and make a recommendation to the City Council; CEQA status – not a project
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Members of the public may not speak to the item(s)
ADJOURNMENT
2 May 14, 2026
Materials submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.paloalto.gov/agendas
.
PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Members
of
the
Public
may
provide
public
comments
to
teleconference
meetings
via
email,
teleconference, or by phone.
1. Written public comments
may be submitted by email to
[email protected]
.
2. For
in
person
public
comments
please
complete
a
speaker
request
card
located
on
the
table
at
the
entrance
to
the
Community
Meeting
Room
and
deliver
it
to
the
Clerk
prior
to
discussion of the item.
3. Spoken
public
comments
for
agendized
items
using
a
computer
or
smart
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will
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through
the
teleconference
meeting.
To
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Council,
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CLICK HERE TO JOIN
Meeting ID: 892 9601 8574 Phone: 1-669-900-6833
Americans
with
Disability
Act
(ADA)
It
is
the
policy
of
the
City
of
Palo
Alto
to
offer
its
public
programs,
services
and
meetings
in
a
manner
that
is
readily
accessible
to
all.
Persons
with
disabilities
who
require
materials
in
an
appropriate
alternative
format
or
who
require
auxiliary
aids
to
access
City
meetings,
programs,
or
services
may
contact
the
City’s
ADA
Coordinator
at
(650)
329-2550
(voice)
or
by
emailing
Requests
for
assistance
or
accommodations
must
be
submitted
at
least
24 hours
in
advance
of
the
meeting,
program,
or
service.
3 May 14, 2026
Materials submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.paloalto.gov/agendas
.
California
Government
Code
§84308
,
commonly
referred
to
as
the
"Levine
Act,"
prohibits
an
elected
official
of
a
local
government
agency
from
participating
in
a
proceeding
involving
a
license,
permit,
or
other
entitlement
for
use
if
the
official
received
a
campaign
contribution
exceeding
$500
from
a
party
or
participant,
including
their
agents,
to
the
proceeding
within
the
last
12 months.
A
“license,
permit,
or
other
entitlement
for
use”
includes
most
land
use
and
planning
approvals
and
the
approval
of
contracts
that
are
not
subject
to
lowest
responsible
bid
procedures
and
have
a
value
over
$50,000.
A
“party”
is
a
person
who
files
an
application
for,
or
is
the
subject
of,
a
proceeding
involving
a
license,
permit,
or
other
entitlement
for
use.
A
“participant”
is
a
person
who
actively
supports
or
opposes
a
particular
decision
in
a
proceeding
involving
a
license,
permit,
or
other
entitlement
for
use,
and
has
a
financial
interest
in
the
decision.
The
Levine
Act
incorporates
the
definition
of
“financial
interest”
in
the
Political
Reform
Act,
which
encompasses
interests
in
business
entities,
real
property,
sources
of
income,
sources
of
gifts,
and
personal
finances
that
may
be
affected
by
the
Council’s
actions.
If
you
qualify
as
a
“party”
or
“participant”
to
a
proceeding,
and
you
have
made
a
campaign
contribution
to
a
Council
Member
exceeding
$500
made
within
the
last
12 months,
you
must
disclose
the
campaign contribution before making your comments.
4 May 14, 2026
Materials submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.paloalto.gov/agendas
.
Council Appointed Officers Committee
Staff Report
Report Type: ACTION ITEM
Lead Department: Human Resources
Meeting Date: May 14, 2026
Report #:2604-6323
TITLE
Review and discuss the Council Appointed Officers (CAO) performance evaluation process and timeline for FY26 and make a recommendation to the City Council; CEQA status – not a project
RECOMMENDATION
Review and discuss proposed changes to the CAO performance evaluation process and make a recommendation to the City Council regarding the FY 2026 evaluation process.
BACKGROUND
On December 10, 2025, the CAO Committee reviewed the FY2025 CAO evaluation process with Dan Rich, the Municipal Resources Group (MRG) consultant who facilitated the evaluation process. Dan presented potential adjustments for the FY2026 evaluation process. Specifically, the Committee discussed:
• Can the timeline be compressed more
• Should the prompts for the CAOs be reduced or changed • Should the questions posed of Council be reduced or changed • Should the structure of the closed session with the appointees be altered • Should the Auditor be handled differently given the unique nature of the position • Is there a way to better align calendar year Council priorities with FY CAO goals No action was taken but discussion ensued and general agreement was reached on possible changes.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of this agenda is to review the FY2026 proposed timeline and process, and also to make a final recommendation on the points that were discussed in December. The CAO Committee should provide a recommendation to the full Council in June for any changes to be incorporated into the FY2026 CAO evaluation process.
Item 1
Item 1 Staff Report
Item 1: Staff Report
Pg.
1 Packet Pg. 5 of 12
Based on the discussion in December, attached for the CAO Committee’s review are drafts of the following developed by the consultant; A) Proposed FY2026 Proposed timeline; B) Proposed edits to the FY2025 Appointee Questions; and C) Proposed edits to the FY2025 Council interview questions.
Suggested Agenda items for May 14 CAO meeting:
• Review and approval of timeline
• Review and approval of self-evaluation prompts
• Review and approval of Council interview questions
• Discuss expectations regarding KPIs
• Discuss process for new City Attorney
• Discuss process for Auditor
• Confirm date for Council Consent item on process.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Funding for annual CAO performance evaluation facilitation services is budgeted in the Office of the City Clerk operating budget. Depending on the Committee’s recommendation, additional resources may be needed to support the process.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
This discussion item has been coordinated with the CAO Committee Chair, the professional services consultant and internal stakeholders. Public comment will be available during the Committee deliberations.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Proposed FY26 Process Timeline
Attachment B: Draft Appointee Guiding Questions
Attachment C: Draft Council Interview Questions
APPROVED BY:
Sandra Blanch, Human Resources Director
Item 1
Item 1 Staff Report
Item 1: Staff Report
Pg.
2 Packet Pg. 6 of 12
P. O. Box 561, Wilton, CA 95693 916-261-7547 www.Solutions-MRG.com
PALO ALTO 25-26 CAO EVALUATIONS – DRAFT TIMELINE
Date Action
May 14
CAO Committee meeting to review/finalize process (timeline and questions for CAO’s and Council to respond to)
Late May MRG consultant send CAO’s brief update on the tentative 2026 Evaluation process Early June
(1 or 8?) Consent Item to full Council on process/timeline Early June Process, timeline and self-evaluation prompts distributed to CAOs; Sandra sends to Council
July 10 CAO’s self-evaluations due
July 16 MRG sends Mayor & City Council self-evaluations and interview questions in advance of individual meetings
July 21 –
August 13
MRG to conduct interviews with Council to gather their input and experiences with the appointees (zoom or in person)
Sept. 3 MRG distributes draft performance evaluations, goals, salary info to Council
September
Closed Sessions:
Review of draft evaluations – week of Sept 7
City Manager – week of Sept 21
City Attorney, City Clerk and compensation for all – week of Sept 28
Mid Sept.
Final evaluations distributed to Council and CAO’s (after first closed session)
Early Oct. Following approval, MRG routes final docs via DocuSign for signature Mid Oct. Schedule debrief conversations with CAO’s
Council approval of amended Employment Agreements for CAOs Early Nov CAO Committee to meet and debrief on the process
Item 1
Attachment A - Proposed
FY26 Process Timeline
Item 1: Staff Report
Pg.
3 Packet Pg. 7 of 12
P. O. Box 561, Wilton, CA 95693 916-261-7547 www.Solutions-MRG.com
Suggested Agenda items for May 14 CAO meeting:
• Review and approval of timeline
• Review and approval of self-evaluation prompts
• Review and approval of Council interview questions
• Discuss expectations regarding KPIs
• Discuss process for new City Attorney
• Discuss process for Auditor
• Confirm date for Council Consent item on process
Item 1
Attachment A - Proposed
FY26 Process Timeline
Item 1: Staff Report
Pg.
4 Packet Pg. 8 of 12
DRAFT 4/11/26
QUESTIONS TO DRIVE THE PALO ALTO CAO EVALUATION PROCESS –
Council would like the appointed officials to respond to some specific questions in the self- evaluation, which will help focus the Council interviews and final evaluation:
a. What is your overall assessment of the state of the Palo Alto organization (as it related to your role)?
b. What do you consider your key achievements in the last fiscal year, including as called out in Council-identified priorities and the specific goals identified in your most recent performance evaluation (performance against goals, including KPI’s for the CM as appropriate)?
c. What do you see as areas of concern or vulnerability (to include organization- wide and/or department-specific comments, but not personnel-specific). d. How are your direct reports performing? (for example: productivity, morale, collaboration, communication, recruitment, etc.).
e. What are your observations on the organization’s fiscal health (strengths and risks). For CM only
f. What are the trends you see from your vantage point and expertise that the City needs to be thinking about (regional, state, national, etc. issues that impact the City)?
g. What is your characterization of the effectiveness of Appointed Official/Elected Official relationships (availability, responsiveness, communication, open mindedness, etc.)
h. What are your suggested priorities for the coming year, and how would you measure their success (draft KPIs)?
i. What do you need from the Council in the next fiscal year and beyond to be successful?
j. What is your compensation “ask”?
k. What else would you like to share with the Council?
l. For the City Attorney: modify as appropriate given short tenure and no formal goals established; add: what are your observations so far on the organization, your department and the significant legal issues facing the City.
Item 1
Attachment B - Draft
Appointee Guiding
Questions
Item 1: Staff Report
Pg.
5 Packet Pg. 9 of 12
CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY MANAGER 2026 EVALUATION – COUNCIL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Based on your observations and his self-evaluation, what do you see as the top 2-3 personal strengths and organizational achievements of City Manager from the past year?
2. How did the City Manager do on achieving Council’s priority goals and his stated Council adopted priorities for FY 25-26? Please be as specific as possible.
3. Does the City Manager have areas for development that should be addressed to help him grow in this role?
4. What are your observations on the organization’s fiscal health (strengths and risks)?
5. Does the organization face vulnerabilities or challenges that you can see and would like the City Manager to be aware of?
6. How does the City Manager provide the elected officials with the support needed to govern effectively (availability, responsiveness, communication, etc.); are there specific opportunities or areas for him to grow?
7. Please share your perception of the City Manager’s leadership and how it effectively meets the needs of the organization and community (such as: vision, leading others, partnering, decisiveness/consensus decision making, developing a team, managing conflict, leveraging resources, etc.). Provide specific examples as possible.
8. How has the City Manager done in the past year in leading others?
9. Is there any feedback (positive or constructive) you would like to provide about the operation of departments (not people specific)?
10. How well does the City Manager anticipate issues and think strategically to address trends and long-term issues?
11. Are there any additional comments or suggestions that you would like to add concerning the City Manager’s performance over the past year (e.g., Fiscal Health, Community Vitality, etc.)?
12. What do you think are the top 2-3 issues the CM should specifically focus on as priorities for FY 26-27 and beyond?
Item 1
Attachment C - Draft
Council Interview Questions
Item 1: Staff Report
Pg.
6 Packet Pg. 10 of 12
CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY ATTORNEY 2026 EVALUATION – COUNCIL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. How satisfied are you with the verbal and written analysis, as well as advice, provided by the City Attorney regarding topic such as active litigation, settlements and pending risk issues?
a. Are you satisfied with the work of outside Counsel retained by the City Attorney?
2. What are the top 2-3 strengths and/or achievements of the City Attorney since he started in the past year that should be highlighted?
3. How did the City Attorney do on supporting achievement of Council’s priority goals for FY25-26 and on achieving the stated goals in her evaluation from last year? Please be as specific as possible.
4. Does the City Attorney have any areas for additional development that you think he should work onshould be brought to her attention?
5. Does the organization face legal vulnerabilities or challenges that you can see? How well did has the City Attorney done so far in spotting or bringing forward those or other challenges?
6. How well does the City Attorney anticipate issues and think strategically to address trends and long-term issues?
7. Are there any additional comments or suggestions that you would like to add concerning the City Attorney’s performance since he began over the past year?
8. What do you think are the top 2-3 issues the City Attorney should focus on as priorities for FY 26-27 and beyond?
Item 1
Attachment C - Draft
Council Interview Questions
Item 1: Staff Report
Pg.
7 Packet Pg. 11 of 12
CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY CLERK 2026 EVALUATION – COUNCIL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What do you see as the top 2-3 personal strengths and professional achievements of the City Clerk from the past year?
2. How did the City Clerk do overall in her achievements in the past year, and specifically in furthering Council priority goals as related to her position and her individual goals for FY25-26 (from last year’s evaluation)?
3. How does the City Clerk provide the elected officials with the support needed to govern effectively (availability, responsiveness, communication, etc.); are there specific opportunities or areas for her to grow?
4. Please share your perception of the City Clerk’s leadership and how it effectively meets the needs of the Council, her team, and community. Provide specific examples as possible.
5. Does the City Clerk have areas for development that should be addressed to help her in this role?
6. How confident are you of the City Clerk’s technical competencies (records management, Brown Act, etc.)
7. How well does the City Clerk anticipate issues and think strategically to address trends and long- term issues? Are there innovations you are looking for in the Clerk’s office?
8. Are there any additional comments or suggestions that you would like to add concerning the City Clerk’s performance over the past year?
9. What do you think are the top 2-3 issues the City Clerk should specifically focus on as priorities for FY 26-27 and beyond?
Item 1
Attachment C - Draft
Council Interview Questions
Item 1: Staff Report
Pg.
8 Packet Pg. 12 of 12