CITY COUNCIL
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
Special Meeting
September 9, 2026
The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Council Chambers and by virtual teleconference at 5:00 P.M.
Present In Person: Burt, Lauing, Lu, Lythcott-Haims, Reckdahl, Stone, Veenker Present Remotely:
Absent:
Special Orders of the Day
1. Interview Candidates for Vacancies on the Historic Resources Board (HRB); CEQA Status - Not a Project
NO ACTION
2. Proclamation Honoring the 25th Anniversary of September 11, 2001
NO ACTION
Closed Session
3. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS
Authority: Cal. Gov. Code section 54957(b)(1)
Titles: City Manager, City Attorney and City Clerk
MOTION: Councilmember Reckdahl moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Stone to go into Closed Session.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
Council went into Closed Session at 5:48 P.M.
Council returned from Closed Session at 8:25 P.M.
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
Sp. City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 09/09/2026
Mayor Veenker announced no reportable action.
Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions
In-Person Public Comment
Council Member Questions, Comments and Announcements
Consent Calendar
Mayor Veenker and Councilmember Lu recused from agenda Item Number 6.
Councilmembers Lu, Stone, Burt , Lythcott-Haims, Reckdahl, and Veenker requested to pull Agenda Item Number 11.
Councilmembers Burt, Reckdahl, and Lauing requested to pull Agenda Item Number 8.
MOTION: Council member Reckdahl moved, seconded by Council member Lu to approve Agenda Item Numbers 4-7, 9-10, and to pull Agenda Item Number s 8 and 11 off of the consent calendar.
MOTION PASSED ITEMS 4-5, 7, 9-10: 7-0
MOTION PASSED ITEM 6: 5-0, Veenker, Lu recused
4. Approval of Minutes from August 17 and August 24, 2026 Meetings
5. Approval of Response to Civil Grand Jury Report “VTA‘s Management and Oversight of BART Silicon Valley Phase II”; CEQA Status: Not a Project
6. 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.
7. Approval of Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. S25186778 with Municipal Resources Group, LLC to increase the Contract Amount by $85,000 to a Total Not -to-Exceed of $340,000 for Organizational Development Services and Extend the Contract Term by One Year through September 4, 2027; CEQA Status – Not a Project.
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
Sp. City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 09/09/2026
8. Approval of Amendment No. 1 to the Cost- Sharing Agreement with the County of Santa Clara for Continued Operation of the Safe Parking Program at 2000 Geng Road to Extend the Term Through June 30, 2027 and Not- to-Exceed $196,032; Approval of Amendment No. 3 to Contract No. 1557819, the Lease Agreement with the County of Santa Clara, Extending the County’s Temporary Use of the Site Through June 30, 2027; Approval of FY 2027 Budget Amendment in the Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) Fund; and Authorization to Use PLHA Activity 6 Funds Accordingly; CEQA status – statutorily exempt.
9. Approval of Amendment No. 2 to Contract C23187298C with Hinderliter, de Llamas & Associates (HdL) to Add Sales Tax and Transactions Tax Analysis, Reporting, Forecasting, and Audit Recovery Services and Increase Compensation by $165,000 for a New Total Not-to-Exceed Amount of $3,035,000 over Two Years and Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing HdL and Designated City Staff to Examine Sales or Transactions and Use Taxes from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA); CEQA Status - Not a Project
10. Adoption of Side Letter Between the City of Palo Alto and Utilities Management and Professional Association of Palo Alto for a Hiring Incentive; CEQA Status - Not a Project.
11. SECOND READING: Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending Title 16 (Building Regulations), Title 18 (Zoning), and Title 21 (Subdivisions) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Amend Requirements Relating to Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (FIRST READING: August 17, 2026; PASSED: 4 -3, Stone, Veenker, Lythcott-Haims no)
Pulled Consent Calendar Agenda Item
8. Approval of Amendment No. 1 to the Cost- Sharing Agreement with the County of Santa Clara for Continued Operation of the Safe Parking Program at 2000 Geng Road to Extend the Term Through June 30, 2027 and Not- to-Exceed $196,032; Approval of Amendment No. 3 to Contract No. 1557819, the Lease Agreement with the County of Santa Clara, Extending the County’s Temporary Use of the Site Through June 30, 2027; Approval of FY 2027 Budget Amendment in the Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) Fund; and Authorization to Use PLHA Activity 6 Funds Accordingly; CEQA status – statutorily exempt.
MOTION: Mayor Veenker moved, seconded by Councilm ember Lauing to reconsider agenda item number 8 (to approve agenda item number 8) and direct staff to return with a study session related to agenda item number 8.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
Sp. City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 09/09/2026
City Manager Comments
Ed Shikada, City Manager
Action Items
12. PUBLIC HEARING / QUASI -JUDICIAL. 470 Olive Avenue [25PLN -00228]: Recommend City Council Adopt an Ordinance Amending the Zoning Map to Change the Zoning District for 470 Olive Avenue from NV -R1 (Single-Family Residential) to NV -MXM (Medium Density Mixed Use) and Adopt a Resolution Changing the North Ventura Coordinated Area Plan (NVCAP) Land Use Designation from Low Density Residential to Medium Density Mixed Use to Align it With the NVMXM Zoning of the Adjacent and Connected Parcel at 2951 El Camino Real. This Action Supports a Staff Determination to Add 470 Olive Avenue as a Housing Inventory Site to Address No Net Loss Requirements. CEQA Status: Statutorily Exempt per Public Resources Code Section 21080.085.
Councilmember Lu recused from agenda item number 12.
MOTION: Mayor Veenker moved, seconded by Councilmember Reckdahl to continue this item to a date uncertain.
MOTION PASSED: 6-0, Lu Recused
13. Designation of Voting Delegate and Alternate for the League of California Cities 2026 Annual Conference, to be held September 23 -25, 2026 in Anaheim, California; CEQA Status – Not a Project
MOTION: Mayor Veenker moved, seconded by Council member Reckdahl to designate Councilmember Lu as the voting delegate and Mayor Veenker as the alternate voting delegate for the League of California Cities (Cal Cities) 2026 Annual Conference.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
14. Colleagues’ Memo: Council Discussion and Public Release of the Investigation Report Regarding Forest Peterson
MOTION: Councilmember Lauing moved, seconded by Council member Reckdahl to waive attorney-client privilege with respect to final investigative report regarding the complaint against Forest Peterson and direct the City Attorney to release a version of the report with redactions to protect the privacy of witnesses to the extent practicable, with the clarifications
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
Sp. City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 09/09/2026
that the waiver of privilege is limited to the final report and that Council does not intended to waive privilege over the subject matter of the investigation.
MOTION FAILED: 3-4, Lu, Stone, Lythcott-Haims, Veenker
Virtual Public Comment
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 11:58 P.M.
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.