City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: City Manager
Meeting Date: June 15, 2026
Report #:2604-6317
TITLE
Approval of Contract Amendment Number 5 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. 5 to Contract S20178065 with OIR Group (Attachment A) to extend the contract through June 30, 2027, 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 $312,500.
This contract also includes additional services funding for a study report related to Flock cameras.
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 for IPA services in 2014. At that time, three firms submitted proposals and the City again selected OIR Group as the most qualified to perform the services. The City and OIR entered into a new contract for IPA services that 1through October 2019. When the contract expired in 2019, the City and OIR entered into the current contract 1 City Council, May 27, 2025; SR# 2503-4328,
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which was set to expire in 2023 but was amended in 2021 with an updated scope and contract term and through additional amendments is set to expire June 30, 2026.
In November 2020, as part of a series of discussions regarding Police Department procedures, police accountability, and race and equity matters, the Council directed that the IPA’s scope of review be expanded to include a review of:
Incidents where an office uses a baton, chemical agent, less-lethal projectile, canine or firearm (in addition to TASER uses, which have been and will continue to be reviewed by the IPA)
Incidents resulting in an injury requiring treatment beyond minor medical care in the field
The Police Department’s handling of Supervisory Inquiry Reports (formally called Informal Inquiry Reports) (complaints that are sufficiently investigated and resolved through expedited review)
In addition, Council directed that changes be made to the schedule of reporting to improve timeliness and accountability and indicated that it will meet publicly with the IPA two times each year.
In November 2020 3 the City Council referred to the Policy and Services Committee consideration of whether IPA’s scope should be further revised to include review of City investigations or uniformed officers arising from internal complaints regarding employee harassment, discrimination, and retaliation in the workplace.
Policy and Services Committee considered the City Council referral at its meeting on April 13, 20214. The Committee voted unanimously to recommend the City Council direct staff to amend the IPA contract to include employee harassment, retaliation and discrimination claims within the IPA scope, and to research best practices to balance the needs of transparency and public oversight while preserving the anonymity of complaints, witnesses and the subject.
OIR Group had some cost savings in this contract year with the most recent reports needing less time to produce. The recommendation from staff is for the unused funding from the current year contract to be used for an additional service study report related to Flock cameras(City Council will be discussing Flock at a June 1 study session). These funds will allow OIR group to work with the Police Department and City Manager’s Office to conduct an operational assessment of Flock’s policies and procedures around security, transparency, sharing compliance, and reporting of system features and changes as well as the Police Department’s 3 City Council, November 16, 2020; SR# 11754,
https://recordsportal.paloalto.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=36377&page=1&dbid=0&repo=PaloAlto&searchid= e2dcdd0d-d8d9-4740-b897-d0c1bf066745&cr=1
4 Policy and Services, April 13, 2021 SR# 12177,
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internal policies and procedures. The study is estimated to be $15,000 for the report and there is funding in the existing contract to support this effort and agreement from OIR Group to conduct this study.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
This contract amendment adds $40,000 to this contract and extends the term by one year to cover the activities to be done in Fiscal Year 2027. 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 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 Polic Auditor (IPA) with the City Council when the IPA comes to study sessions with the City Council. Additionally, members of the public can send information directly to the IPA at the contact information listed on the Independent Police Auditor webpage.7
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
City Council action on this item is not a project as defined by CEQA because approval of this amendment is an organization or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: OIR Group Contract Amendment No. 5 – Contract S20178065 APPROVED BY:
Ed Shikada, City Manager
7 Independent Police Auditor webpage,
https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/Police/Accountability/Independent-Police-Auditor