CITY COUNCIL
ACTION MINUTES
Regular Meeting
August 17, 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:
C
losed Session
1. CONFERENCE WITH CITY ATTORNEY-EXISTING LITIGATION
Subject: Swinerton v. City of Palo Alto (JAMS Reference # 5100003409) Authority: Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1)
One Case, as Defendant
2. CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATORS
Authority: Government Code Section 54956.8
Property: 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto (Informally known as the Cubberley Site) Negotiating Party: Palo Alto Unified School District City Negotiators: Ed Shikada, Kristen O'Kane, Sunny Tong
Subject of Negotiations: Purchase, Exchange, and/or Lease Price and Terms of Payment MOTION: Council Member Lauing moved, seconded by Council Member Lu to go into Closed Session.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
Council went into Closed Session at 5:38 P.M.
Council returned from Closed Session at 8:08 P.M.
Mayor Veenker announced no reportable action. Agenda Item Number 2 is continu ed to a date uncertain.
A
genda Changes, Additions and Deletions
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ACTION MINUTES
City Council Meeting
Action Minutes: 08/17/2026
In-Person Public Comment
C
ouncil Member Questions, Comments and Announcements
C
onsent Calendar
MOTION: Council member Reckdahl moved, seconded by Council member Lu to approve Agenda Item Numbers 3-5.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
3. Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager or Their Designee to Transact for Electric Supplies to Meet the City’s Electrical Needs under Electric Master Agreements; CEQA Status: Not a project, CEQA Guidelines 15378(b)(5)
4. Approve Expansion of the City’s Overnight Warming/Cooling Location Program, Approve an Operating Framework for Emergency Inclement Weather Response; CEQA status.
5. Approval of Contract Number C27196410 with Salas O’Brien Engineers, Inc. for an Amount Not- to-Exceed $298,716 to Provide Professional Design Services for the Electrification of City Facilities Capital Improvement Program Project PE -24001, for a Contract Term through August 24, 2029; CEQA Status – Exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301
C
ity Manager Comments
Ed Shikada, City Manager
Ac
tion Items
6. Adoption of an Ordinance Amending Various Palo Alto Municipal Code Chapters in Titles 16 and 18 to Address Changes in State Law and Direction from City Council Regarding Accessory and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units. CEQA Status: Exempt From the Provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080.17 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3).
MOTION: Councilme
mber Lythcott-Haims moved, seconded by Vice Mayor to:
A) Approve staff & Planning and Transportation Commission recommendation; Docusign Envelope ID: 022C55F6-0243-8A97-82CD-C7B4D0F3609A
ACTION MINUTES
City Council Meeting
Action Minutes: 08/17/2026
B) Direct staff to return to Council on C onsent Calendar an ordinance to allow for separate ADU conveyance (attachment C) with the feedback provided by council, including:
1. Removal of the 600-foot notice requirement
2. Require units be used only for residential purposes
3. Clarify Section M of the Ordinance related to fees and establish a set fee MOTION PASSED/FAILED: X-X
SUB
STITUTE MOTION: Councilmember Lauing moved, seconded by Council member Reckdahl to:
A) Approve staff & P lanning and Transportation Commission recommendation outlined in the packet;
B) Direct staff to return to Planning and Transportation Commission with an Ordinance to allow streamlined separate ADU conveyance, and come back to Council with their recommendation before the end of 2026.
SUBSTITUTE MOTION PASSED: 4-3, Stone, Veenker, Lythcott-Haims no
7. PU
BLIC HEARING/QUASI -JUDICIAL. 762 San Antonio Road [24PLN -0012 0]: Request for
Approval of a Major Architectural Review Application to Demolish Three Existing Commercial Buildings and Construct an Eight -Story Multi -Family Residential Building Containing 228 Rental Apartments. The Project is Proposed in Accordance with California Government Code Section 65589.5(d)(5) “Builders Remedy". CEQA Status: An Addendum to the Previously Certified Environmental Impact Report for the Housing Incentive Program Expansion and 788 San Antonio Mixed Use Project (SCH # 2019090070) has Been Prepared. Zoning District: CS (AD); Service Commercial (Automobile Dealership).
MOT
ION: Councilmember Burt moved, seconded by Councilmember Reckdahl to:
1. Consider the Addendum to the previously certified Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (SCH#2019090070) (Attachment F); and
2. Approve the Major Architectural Review application based on findings and subject to conditions of approval in the Record of Land Use Action (RLUA) in Attachment B a. Including SECTION 4 conditions of approval; and,
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ACTION MINUTES
City Council Meeting
Action Minutes: 08/17/2026
b. To modify conditions of approval 99 as follows:
c. Mo
dify SECTION 1. Background. B. to read:
Waiver 2: Upper Floor Step-back (6-foot step-back where 10-foot is required) and step-back beginning at 65 feet in height rather than 55 feet.
3. Refer to staff to evaluate and return to Council with a review of accelerating the San Antonio Road bike lane initiative.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
V
irtual Public Comment
Ad
journment: The meeting was adjourned at 11:28 P.M.
Docusign Envelope ID: 022C55F6-0243-8A97-82CD-C7B4D0F3609A
ACTION MINUTES
City Council Meeting
Action Minutes: 08/17/2026
A
TTEST: 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: 022C55F6-0243-8A97-82CD-C7B4D0F3609A
Status: Completed
Subject: August 17, 2026 Action Minutes.pdf
Source Envelope:
Document Pages: 5
Signatures: 2
Envelope Originator:
Certificate Pages: 2
Initials: 0
Nicole Bissell
AutoNav: Enabled
EnvelopeId Stamping: Enabled
Time Zone: (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
250 Hamilton Ave
Palo Alto , CA 94301
[email protected]
IP Address: 170.85.155.41
Record Tracking
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9/11/2026 3:05:17 PM
Holder: Nicole Bissell
[email protected]
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Veenker, Vicki
[email protected]
City of Palo Alto
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Signed: 9/12/2026 12:42:57 PM
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Mahealani Ah Yun
[email protected]
City Clerk
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