CITY COUNCIL
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
Regular Meeting
May 18, 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 Mayor Veenker departed the meeting at 8:30 P.M.
Present Remotely:
Absent:
Special Orders of the Day
1. Recognizing May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month and May 10, 2026 as AANHPI Mental Health Awareness Day
NO ACTION
Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions
Public Comment
Council Member Questions, Comments and Announcements
Consent Calendar
Mayor Veenker and Councilmember Lu recused from Agenda item Number 11.
Councilmember Lauing, Burt, and Lythcott-Haims requested to pull Agenda Item Number 12.
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 05/18/2026
MOTION: Councilmember Lythcott-Haims moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Stone to approve Agenda Item Numbers 2- 7, 9-1 1 and to pull A genda Item Number 12 off of the Consent Calendar (Agenda Item Number 8 Removed Off Agenda).
MOTION PASSED ITEMS 2-7, 9-10: 7-0
MOTION PASSED ITEM 11: 5-0-2, Veenker, Lu recused
2. Approval of Minutes from May 4, 2026 Meeting
3. 2026 Council Priorities & Objectives Q1 Update
4. Adoption of a Resolution Vacating a Portion of a Public Utility Easement at 590 Maybell Avenue; CEQA Status – Exempt under Cal. Code Regs. Title 14, Section 15305
5. Adoption of a Resolution for Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act, for Fiscal Year 2027, Providing the Project List for the Street Maintenance Project, Capital Improvement Program Project PE-86070; CEQA Status – Not a Project
6. Adoption of Resolution Suspending the Levy of Assessments on the Downtown Palo Alto Business Improvement District (BID) Assessment for Fiscal Year 2027; CEQA status – not a project.
7. Adopt a Resolution Approving Amendment Number 1 to California Board of State and Community Corrections Agreement Number BSCC 1164 -23 for Organized Retail Theft Grant to Extend the Term One Year with No Change to the Not- To-Exceed Total; CEQA status—not a project.
8. Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing the Borrowing of Funds on an Interim Basis for Improvements to the City's Regional Water Quality Control Plant and Authorizing the Execution and Delivery of a Revolving Credit Agreement and Related Note; CEQA Status - Not a Project Item Removed Off Agenda
9. Approval of Construction Contract No. C26197232 with Selway Construction, Inc. in the Amount Not-to of $261,600 and Authorization for the City Manager or Their Designee to Negotiate and Execute Change Orders for Related Additional but Unforeseen Work that may Develop During the Project Up to a Not-to-Exceed Amount of $26,160 for Site Work for a New Modular Restroom Building at Mitchell Park for the Park Restroom Installation Capital Improvement Project (PG-19000); CEQA status – Exempt Under CEQA Guidelines Section 15303
10. Approval of Construction Contract No. C26197180 with Casey Construction, Inc. in the Not-to-Exceed Amount of $544,556 and Authorization for the City Manager or Their Designee to Negotiate and Execute Change Orders for Related Additional but Unforeseen Work that May Develop During the Project Up to a Not -to-Exceed Amount
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 05/18/2026
of $54,456 for the Storm Drainage System Replacement and Rehabilitation Project (SD - 06101); CEQA status – Exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c)
11. Approve Amendment Number 2 to Contract C3780 with Stanford University, to Extend the Contract Term to September 30, 2027 for Public Safety Dispatch Services Provided to the Main Campus of Stanford University; CEQA status—not a project.
12. PUBLIC HEARING / QUASI -JUDICIAL. 4103 Old Trace Road [25PLN -00298]: Request for Approval of a Tentative Map to Allow for the Subdivision of a Vacant 1.02 -Acre Lot to Create Nine Residential Lots and One Private Street to Facilitate Construction of Nine New Single -Family Residences and Seven Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (25PLN - 00296). CEQA Status: Exempt Pursuant to Assembly Bill 130 (Public Resources Code Section 21080.66). Zone District: RE (Residential Estate) Item Removed Off Consent Calendar to Be Heard on Action
City Manager Comments
Ed Shikada, City Manager
Action Items
13. Cubberley Project: Adopt the Cubberley Conceptual Master Plan and a Resolution Adopting the CEQA Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigated Monitoring and Reporting Program; Receive the Fourth Round of Community Polling Results; and Provide Direction on Next Steps for a Possible Sales Tax Ballot Measure. CEQA Status - A Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS- MND) Report Circulated for Public Review from March 2, 2026, to April 1, 2026. The City published the Final IS- MND on April 9, 2026.
MOTION: Mayor Veenker moved, seconded by Councilmember Lythcott-Haims to:
1. Adopt a Resolution adopting the Final Initial Study Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Project and associated Mitigated Monitoring and Reporting Program (Attachment A); and
2. Adopt the Cubberley Conceptual Master Plan (Attachment B); and
3. Direct staff to pursue a ballot measure for a one -half-cent sales tax in the November 2026 election.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 05/18/2026
14. Update Regarding the Builder’s Remedy Project at 156 California Avenue and Consideration of Adding Lot B (APN 124 -28-003) Associated with the Development to the City’s Housing Element Sites Inventory.
MOTION: Vice Mayor Stone moved, seconded by Council member Lythcott-Haims to direct the Planning and Development Services Director to add Lot A (APN 124 -28-045) to the Housing Element Sites Inventory.
MOTION PASSED: 4-2-1, Reckdahl, Burt no, Veenker absent
15. FIRST READING: Adoption of an Ordinance to Amend Various Sections of Title 16 (Building Regulations) and Title 18 (Zoning) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Implement Retail Vitality Policies in the Comprehensive Plan, including changes to the Zoning Map for parcels zoned CN(GF). CEQA Status: The Ordinance is Consistent with and Represents Implementation of Adopted Policies in the Comprehensive Plan, for Which an Environmental Impact Report (Comprehensive Plan EIR) was Certified on February 5, 2016.
Agenda Item Number 15 not heard and deferred to a date uncertain.
12. PUBLIC HEARING / QUASI -JUDICIAL. 4103 Old Trace Road [25PLN -00298]: Request for Approval of a Tentative Map to Allow for the Subdivision of a Vacant 1.02 -Acre Lot to Create Nine Residential Lots and One Private Street to Facilitate Construction of Nine New Single -Family Residences and Seven Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (25PLN - 00296). CEQA Status: Exempt Pursuant to Assembly Bill 130 (Public Resources Code Section 21080.66). Zone District: RE (Residential Estate) MOTION: Councilmember Lu moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Stone to:
1. Consider the project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in accordance with Assembly Bill 130 (Public Resources Code section 21080.66); and,
2. Approve the Tentative Map application pursuant to findings and subject to conditions of approval set forth in Attachment A (Draft Record of Land Use Action) of the supplementary report.
MOTION PASSED: 6-0-1, Veenker absent
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 P.M.
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 05/18/2026
ATTEST: APPROVED:
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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.