City Council
Staff Report
Report Type: SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY
Lead Department: City Clerk
Meeting Date: September 22, 2026
Report #:2609-6752
TITLE
Interview Candidates for Vacancies on the Parks & Recreation Commission (PRC) and Public Art Commission (PAC); CEQA Status - Not a Project
BACKGROUND
Recruitment
The Fall Boards, Commissions, and Committees (BCC) Recruitment was open from July 28, 2026 – September 2, 2026, and recruited for 11 vacancies across 5 meeting bodies. Applications were published as part of the September 14 agenda packet and are available online1.
In consultation with the Mayor and Vice Mayor, staff have split the recruitment next steps into two separate batches to effectively manage meeting capacity and length. The schedule is listed below.
City Council Meeting Action
September 14 Regular City Council Meeting Review Applications and Select Candidates to Interview for PRC and PAC
September 22 Special City Council Meeting Interview Candidates for PRC and PAC September 28 Special City Council Meeting Review Applications and Select Candidates to Interview for HRC, PTC, SWMOC
September 30 Special City Council Meeting Interview Candidates for HRC, PTC, SWMOC October 5 Regular City Council Meeting Appoint Members to HRC, PRC, PTC, PAC, SWMOC
1 September 14, 2026 City Council Staff Report # 2606-6493 https://recordsportal.paloalto.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=897242&dbid=0&repo=PaloAlto
Interview Process
The City Council is expected to review applications and select candidates to interview for PRC and PAC on September 14. A supplemental memo will be issued on September 17 with the interview schedule.
Each candidate interview is scheduled for 10 minutes. Candidates will have an opportunity to summarize their experiences, and the remaining time will be allocated to Councilmember questions. Candidates have been informed of the following:
1. Each interview is scheduled for 10 minutes. Candidates may begin with 1-2 minutes describing their experience and/or desire to serve. The remaining time will be Q+A with the City Council;
2. Interviews are located in Council Chambers on the ground floor of City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave) or on Zoom;
3. If joining in person, please arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled time, and check in with the Clerk upon arrival; and
4.If joining via Zoom, please log-on 15 minutes before the scheduled time, and make sure to use your name so the clerk can identify the candidate. Please use this link to join https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/362027238. The clerk will allow you to unmute and turn on your video when it’s your turn.
Vacancy Information
A summary of the openings, eligibility requirements, and term lengths for each vacancy are included below. In addition to the eligibility requirements below, no commissioners may be Councilmembers, officers, or employees of the City.
Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC)
Number of Vacancies and
Term Dates
4 Full Term Vacancies
11/1/2026 – 10/31/2029
Seat Numbers 1, 5, 6, 7
Number of Applicants 13
Number of Candidates to
Interview
Up to 10
Number of Votes per
Councilmember
8 Eligibility requirements3 Each member of the commission shall have a demonstrated interest in parks, open space and recreation matters. All members of the commission shall at all times be residents of Palo Alto.
3 Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 2.25.010 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0- 0-0-61402
Public Art Commission (PAC)
Number of Vacancies and
Term Dates
2 Full Term Vacancies
11/1/2026 – 10/31/2029
Seat Numbers 2, 6
Number of Applicants 10
Number of Candidates to
Interview
Up to 6
Number of Votes per
Councilmember
4 Eligibility requirements5 Members shall be either members of the Architectural Review Board or shall be professional visual artists, professional visual arts educators, professional visual arts scholars or visual arts collectors whose authorities and skills are known and
respected in the community and whenever feasible, who have demonstrated interest in, and have participated in, the arts program of the City of Palo Alto.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: BCC Applications Links
APPROVED BY:
Mahealani Ah Yun, City Clerk
5 Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 2.18.020 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0- 0-0-61257