City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Police
Meeting Date: September 9, 2026
Report #:2607-6570
TITLE
Approval of Five-year Memorandum of Agreement with Stanford University to Provide and be Reimbursed for Traffic Control Services during Stanford Stadium Events; CEQA status – not a project.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager or designee to execute the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford) to provide and be reimbursed for traffic control for events at the Stanford Stadium for five years (Attachment A).
BACKGROUND
During each year, Stanford hosts a number of large events at Stanford Stadium, including home football games, concerts, and professional athletic events. These events require the movement of large numbers of vehicles and pedestrians into and out of the university in a short period of time. Stanford and the City of Palo Alto (City) share a goal of moving traffic as safely and efficiently as possible to and from the stadium area while minimizing impacts to nearby vehicles, pedestrians, businesses and residents.
To accomplish this shared goal, Stanford and the City have partnered for decades to share the costs of supplemental traffic control services needed to facilitate safe and efficient traffic and pedestrian movements. Under the most recent MOA executed in 2021, the City agrees to provide services from uniformed peace officers to control traffic around Stanford stadium during athletic events where Stanford requests such services. Under this agreement, Stanford
reimburses the City for 50% of the costs of uniformed officers providing services during these events. This MOA expired August 31, 20261.
ANALYSIS
During the term of the 2021 MOA, the number of commercial events requiring City support at the stadium has increased (from 1 in Fiscal Year 2023 to 4 in Fiscal Year 2025). The MOA for review in this action seeks to address this increase in several ways. First, it formalizes the City’s support for events beyond regular season Stanford football games, to include concerts, commercial professional athletic events, and other special events. Second, it amends the cost recovery framework so that Stanford will reimburse the City for 100% of the City’s traffic control costs for these additional events. Third, it addresses the possibility of outsourcing some of the City’s work. While the Police Department balances priorities to public safety, a strategy to consider is balancing staffing with officers from other police agencies or contracting professional traffic control services from a third-party vendor(s). For regular season Stanford football games, Stanford will continue to reimburse the City for 50% of City staff costs, and 100% of costs for contractors, temporary or limited-term personnel, and outside agency staff.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
The primary cost to the City for events at Stanford Stadium is payroll in the Police Department.
Most payroll costs are overtime, with the exception of Reserve Police Officers, which are straight time. The Department currently budgets traffic control revenue and expense within its operating budget. In Fiscal Year 2026 the City received approximately $92,000 (averaging $9,200 per event) for traffic control services provided to Stanford, including approximately $45,000 for commercial events. The Department will assess the fiscal impact of changes to this MOA and may request adjustments in the FY 2027 Mid-Year Budget if needed, depending on the number of events anticipated during the fiscal year. Funding for subsequent years will be subject to the annual budget development process.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
City staff engaged with Stanford University to develop this Agreement.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity is not a project under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as defined in CEQA Guidelines, section 15378, because it has no potential for resulting in 1 City Council Meeting November 1, 2021, Item #6, SR #13657 https://recordsportal.paloalto.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=81622&dbid=0&repo=PaloAlto&searchid=d23e37dc -92cc-4855-b70b-1b59ef128dfd)
either a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Stanford - Palo Alto Traffic Control MOA
APPROVED BY:
James Reifschneider, Police Chief