City Council
Staff Report
From: City Clerk & City Manager
Report Type: ACTION ITEMS
Lead Department: City Clerk
Meeting Date: August 10, 2026
Report #:2607-6526
TITLE
Adoption of a Resolution to Reduce the Membership of the Stormwater Management Oversight Committee and Direction Related to an Amendment to the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Streamline the Functions of the Historic Resources Board; CEQA Status - Not a Project
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a Resolution to reduce the membership of the Stormwater Management Oversight Committee from seven (7) members to five (5) members.
2. Discuss and provide staff direction regarding adoption of an Ordinance amending the Palo Alto Municipal Code to authorize the Planning and Development Services Director to designate a Historic Preservation Officer to perform certain Historic Resources Board functions.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Despite extensive recruiting efforts, the City’s Historic Resources Board and Stormwater Management Oversight Committee have experienced difficulties in attracting a sufficient number of qualified community volunteers to meet each body’s established responsibilities.
Staff recommends adoption of a resolution and targeted amendments to the Palo Alto Municipal Code intended to improve administrative efficiency and ensure continuity of City operations.
The resolution would reduce the membership of the Stormwater Management Oversight Committee (SMOC) from seven members to five members. Staff has experienced ongoing challenges recruiting and maintaining seven active members and continuing to satisfy quorum requirements. Reducing committee membership will improve the Committee's ability to conduct regular business while maintaining diverse community representation.
An ordinance amendment would authorize the Planning and Development Services Director to designate a Historic Preservation Officer to carry out specific administrative responsibilities currently assigned to the Historic Resources Board (HRB) to reduce delays in the event of a lack of quorum due to vacancies, recusals, or other circumstances that prevent the Board from taking action under the Ralph M. Brown Act.
Neither proposal changes the policy responsibilities or advisory role of either body.
BACKGROUND
The City periodically reviews the Palo Alto Municipal Code to ensure governance structures remain effective and reflect current operational needs.
During recent appointments and committee administration, staff identified two provisions that warrant amendment.
Stormwater Management Oversight Committee: The Stormwater Management Oversight Committee currently consists of seven members. Over several recruitment cycles, staff has experienced difficulty recruiting and retaining sufficient qualified applicants to consistently fill all seven seats. Vacancies increase the likelihood that meetings cannot achieve quorum, limiting the Committee's ability to conduct business.
Historic Resources Board: The Historic Resources Board is responsible for performing various duties established within the Municipal Code, including certain administrative actions delegated by ordinance. In limited circumstances, the Board has been unable to establish a quorum because of vacancies, recusals due to conflicts of interest, or other attendance limitations. When this occurs, required project reviews may be delayed, even when minor in nature.
ANALYSIS
In order to address the challenge of attracting a sufficient number of qualified community volunteers for these advisory bodies, staff discussed a variety of approaches. This included modifying the required qualifications for service, adjusting or consolidating responsibilities with other bodies, and modifying the size of the advisory bodies.
Stormwater Management Oversight Committee
Reducing committee membership to five members would better align with current recruitment realities while maintaining effective community oversight and participation. Staff believes reducing committee membership from seven to five members provides several benefits. These include:
Improved ability to establish quorum
Reduced recruitment challenges
Increased operational efficiency
Continued effective public representation
Five-member advisory bodies are common throughout the City's board and commission structure and continue to provide robust community participation while improving meeting reliability.
No changes are proposed to the Committee's responsibilities, authority, or reporting relationship.
Historic Resources Board
The proposed amendment would authorize the Planning and Development Services Director to designate a Historic Preservation Officer to perform administrative functions similar to the staff level minor architectural review process to reduce the frequency of project review delays due to lack of quorum. Staff recommends that some projects that would currently go to the Historic Resources Board for review to be processed at the staff level including but not limited to: (1) signs, (2) minor changes to previously approved projects, and (3) landscape plans, fences, exterior remodeling, parking design, and removal of inappropriate additions or alterations to historic structures. The Historic Resources Board would still be charged with recommendations on designating historic buildings and applications that would affect the historic integrity of listed resources.
The draft amendment would be developed to align the City's Historic Preservation Program with the streamlined administrative processes recently adopted by a number of Certified Local Governments (CLGs). These efforts of communities across the state have delegated routine administrative tasks and reviews previously assigned to historic preservation commissions to staff through Director designation or delegation. The proposed amendment reduces process delays caused by limited situations where the Historic Resources Board is unable to legally act.
Examples include:
Multiple vacancies
Required recusals resulting from conflicts of interest Extended absences
Without this amendment, routine administrative matters may remain pending until sufficient Board members are available.
The California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) must review and comment on ordinance changes before adoption, and staff will update the City Council on any OHP feedback when returning with the draft ordinance.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
The proposed Municipal Code amendments have no direct fiscal impact.
The Historic Resources Board amendment is expected to improve administrative efficiency by reducing delays associated with quorum limitations.
The Stormwater Management Oversight Committee amendment may modestly reduce future recruitment and onboarding efforts associated with maintaining committee membership.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The proposed resolution and code amendments have been developed collaboratively between the City Clerk's Office, the Planning and Development Services Department, and the Public Works Department.
The Historic Resources Board and Stormwater Management Oversight Committee will be informed of the proposed amendments that are recommended for Council consideration.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is not a project under section 15378(b)(5) of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines (administrative activities that will not result in direct or indirect physical change in the environment).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Resolution Amending and Restating Stormwater Management Committee to Reduce Membership from Seven Members to Five Members
APPROVED BY:
Mahealani Ah Yun, City Clerk