Agenda packet — City Council and Authorities Concurrent, September 16, 2025 (part 6 of 6)

Attachment 3
532
2025/26 Budget
Measure I General Obligation Bond Projects Fund (613)
Storm Drain System Improvements ($16,585,300)
- Storm Drain System Improvements 5,000,000
- Green Storm Drain Infrastructure Design & Construction 6,645,000 - Bowers Ave Underpass SDPS Rehabilitation 2,030,000
- SDPS Motor and Control Replacement 347,000
- Storm Drain Pump Station Outfall Reconstruction Program 250,000 - Storm Drain Renovations 150,000
- Storm Drain System Improvements - Contingency/Escalation/Administration 2,163,300 Historic Buildings and Beautification ($1,150,000)
- Triton Museum Renovation 1,000,000
- Historic Buildings and Beautification - Contingency/Escalation/Administration 150,000 Total Expenditures 96,634,500
Ending Fund Balance
Unrestricted 0
Total Ending Fund Balance 0
Total Use of Funds 96,634,500

Page 2 ends

532
2025/26
Budget
Beginning Fund Balance
Reserve for Debt Service 0
Total Beginning Fund Balance 0
Revenue
Property Tax Assessments 17,142,877
Bond Proceeds 100,000,000
Total Revenue 117,142,877
Total Source of Funds 117,142,877
Expenditures
Administrative Costs 2,000,000
Total Expenditures 2,000,000
Transfers To
Measure I General Obligation Bond Projects Fund 96,634,500 Total Transfers To 96,634,500
Ending Fund Balance
Reserve for Debt Service 17,142,877
Reserve for Bond Projects Fund 1,365,500
Total Ending Fund Balance 18,508,377
Total Use of Funds 117,142,877
Measure I General Obligation Bond Debt Service Fund (413) Attachment 4
City of Santa Clara
Agenda Report
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
santaclaraca.gov
@SantaClaraCity
25-746 Agenda Date: 9/16/2025

REPORT TO COUNCIL

SUBJECT
Action to Delegate Authority to the City Manager to Complete Negotiations and Execute a Third Phase Agreement with the Northern California Power Agency (NCPA) for the Purchase of Energy Storage Products from Trolley Pass Project LLC for a Total Contract Amount of $983,000,000 Over 20 Years

COUNCIL PILLAR
Deliver and Enhance High-Quality Efficient Services and Infrastructure Promote Sustainability and Environmental Protection

BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara’s Electric Department, Silicon Valley Power (SVP), purchases energy to supply residents and businesses within the City of Santa Clara (City). With the passage of Senate Bill 100, SVP must meet the State of California’s Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) where SVP must procure a specified percentage of its retail sales from renewable energy resources by a particular year. Most of the renewable energy resources on the market are solar photovoltaic (Solar PV) generation. As the City’s datacenter load grows, SVP will need energy storage to store solar power and to use the stored power during hours when solar may not be available. Energy storage resources can also be used to meet SVP’s resource adequacy needs.

SVP generally procures energy storage products (like resource adequacy) by entering into an Energy Storage Service Agreement (ESSA) with project developers through their direct offerings or through a request for proposal (RFP) process. SVP may also participate in energy storage project opportunities through the Northern California Power Agency (NCPA). NCPA is a not-for-profit Joint Powers Agency whose membership includes municipalities, a rural electric cooperative, and other public agencies including the City of Santa Clara. The mission of NCPA is to provide its members with cost effective wholesale power and energy-related services.

Each potential project may have unique characteristics that impact the value of the resource to SVP.

Staff evaluates potential projects on locational value, environmental attributes, capacity attributes, viability, and operational flexibility.

On February 15, 2024, NCPA issued an RFP to solicit competitive proposals for renewable energy resources, carbon-free energy resources, and energy storage solutions. In response to that RFP, NCPA received multiple proposals for energy storage resources. Among them, NCPA received a proposal from Trolley Pass Project LLC (Developer) to sell energy storage products supplied by a battery energy storage system (BESS) located in San Bernadino County, California (Trolley BESS Facility). This facility’s energy storage products include discharging energy, storage capacity, resource adequacy attributes, and ancillary services. A number of NCPA members (Participants) City of Santa Clara Printed on 9/12/2025Page 1 of 4
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expressed an interest in the Trolley BESS Facility. NCPA, in direct coordination with the Participants (including SVP), determined that the Developer’s offer was competitive for the current energy storage market and met the needs and requirements of the Participants.

As a result of this determination, NCPA, acting on behalf of the Participants, engaged in active negotiations with the Developer to develop an ESSA, pursuant to which NCPA, acting on behalf of the Participants, will purchase the energy storage products. The Trolley BESS Facility is expected to begin commercial operation on June 1, 2029. The 400-megawatt (MW) Trolley BESS Facility is expected to store up to and discharge 1,600-megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity over a four-hour timeframe.

DISCUSSION
The ESSA contains many terms that are standard for today’s energy storage market. For example, under the ESSA, the Developer will have an obligation to reach commercial operation no later than June 1, 2029, otherwise it will forfeit its development security. As is standard for these types of agreements, the commercial operation date may be extended for force majeure and other circumstances. Once the Developer reaches commercial operation, it must meet its guaranteed energy storage capabilities for the entire 20-year term, including guaranteed storage capacity and guaranteed round-trip efficiency rates (i.e., percentage of energy that is retrieved from the battery compared to the energy that was originally put into it).

The ESSA also requires the Developer to periodically test the energy storage capabilities of the Trolley BESS Facility at the request of NCPA and the Participants. In the event that these tests reveal the Trolley BESS Facility fails to meet the ESSA’s requirements, the Developer will pay damages in accordance with a formula set forth in the Agreement. This commitment and other post- commercial operation obligations are secured through the Developer’s performance security which may be in the form of cash, a letter of credit, or a guaranty.

Due to the recent uncertainties around tariffs and potential changes in tax laws, Developers have sought to insulate themselves from any such change. NCPA, City staff, and other Participants have negotiated a contract price increase cap in the event of tariff impacts or tax law changes (including loss of tax credits). If the Developer requests a price adjustment above the cap, NCPA may not accept the increase, in which case the Developer may terminate the Agreement or continue the Agreement subject to the cap.

Other key ESSA terms include:
· Fixed price rates, without escalators, for the twenty-year life of the ESSA · Contains security deposit requirements that the Developer provides to NCPA to ensure the project will be completed in a timely manner and maintain its performance throughout the ESSA term
· Contains Guaranteed Efficiency Rates, Guaranteed RA Amount, Guaranteed Storge Availability
· Liquidated damage for missing performance metrics
· Termination rights for events of default, force majeure, or potential adverse tax policy or tariffs that impact feasibility of project construction
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To enable NCPA to enter into the ESSA with the Developer on behalf of the Participants, the Participants must first enter into a Third Phase Agreement with NCPA. The Third Phase Agreement sets the terms for participation in the project. For example, products will be delivered to the Participants based on their project participation percentage. In the City’s case, it will be contractually obligated to purchase 70% of the facility’s capacity, which is equal to 280-MW. The Third Phase Agreement also sets forth each Participant obligation to pay their proportionate share of the Project costs.

This project will increase and diversify SVP’s resource adequacy capacity portfolio and help SVP meet its increasing resource adequacy capacity requirements due to the City’s electrical load growth.

SVP originally signed up for 200 MW of the project but increased this amount to 280 MW due to concerns that other potential SVP projects are facing increasing challenges due to tariff and supply chain issues. For example the Westlands Grape Battery Storage Project developer recently terminated their agreement with the City pursuant to their termination rights due to their inability to secure financing in time to meet the guaranteed commercial operation date. SVP is recommending moving forward with this project considering the project was selected through a competitive RFP process and the increased capacity amount presented the same value proposition as the original capacity amount. In addition, with the additional 80 MW, NCPA would become the sole off-taker of the 400 MW battery and would have full control of the entire project. This would simplify the operation of the battery and eliminate any potential conflicts that may arise when there are multiple off-takers for the battery. Pricing for the project is competitive with other projects SVP is currently working on.

If approved, the parties intend to execute the Agreement at the end of September 2025. SVP would begin using the energy storage product beginning on June 1, 2029. SVP will provide the City Council with updates as needed through the SVP biennial update or informational reports to the City Council.

NCPA staff, working with the Participants’ staff, have been negotiating with Trolley Pass for the past 10 months and have reached Agreement on a number of areas and needs the City Council’s approval prior to finalizing the contract. Due to confidentiality and other considerations, staff is requesting that the City Council delegate final approval and execution authority to the City Manager.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to section 15378(b)(4) of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations in that it solely facilitates SVP payments for the costs of the ESSA and is therefore a fiscal activity that does not involve the commitment to a specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment. Under the ESSA, the Developer is required to complete CEQA, otherwise the delivery term will not commence (i.e., no energy will be charged or discharged by the Trolley BESS Facility until completion of CEQA) and there is no obligation for the City to make a payment.

FISCAL IMPACT
Based on SVP’s 280-MW interest, SVP’s annual cost is approximately $49,150,000 for a total contract amount of $983,000,000 over the 20-year term. Funding for the project will be included in the Resource and Production budget in the Electric Utility Fund beginning in the FY 2028/29 City of Santa Clara Printed on 9/12/2025Page 3 of 4
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Operating Budget.

Under the Third Phase Agreement, the Participants (including SVP) will be required to maintain a security deposit amount equal to the three highest monthly project costs to be held by the NCPA in the event that the Participants fail to make any required payments or defaults on the Third Phase Agreement. This amount is approximately $12,287,500 and will be due 90 days prior to the Commercial Operation Date.

COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Finance Department and City Attorney’s Office.

PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email [email protected] or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.

RECOMMENDATION

1. Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to complete negotiations, approve, and execute a Third Phase Agreement (Agreement) with the Northern California Power Agency for the purchase of energy storage products from the Trolley BESS Facility on the terms presented, for a total contract amount of $983,000,000 over 20 years with permissible adjustments due to supply chain events and change in tax law, funded by the Electric Utility Fund, subject to the review and approval as to form by the City Attorney; and

2. Authorize the City Manager to (a) take any and all actions as are necessary or advisable to implement and administer the Agreement; and (b) approve and execute future amendments to the Agreement for any price adjustments and other changes authorized under the Agreement, subject to the review and approval as to form by the City Attorney.

Reviewed by: Nico Procos, Director of Silicon Valley Power Approved by: Jovan D. Grogan, City Manager
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City of Santa Clara
Agenda Report
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
santaclaraca.gov
@SantaClaraCity
25-990 Agenda Date: 9/16/2025

REPORT TO COUNCIL

SUBJECT
Action to Appoint Members of the Charter Review Committee (CRC) Formed to Conduct a Comprehensive Review of the City Charter and to Approve CRC Bylaws

BACKGROUND
At the Governance and Ethics Committee special meeting on May 1, 2025, as part of the Committee’s work plan, staff presented a report on a proposed comprehensive City Charter update process for discussion and direction. For context, the presentation included information regarding how a city charter functions as a city’s constitution, how charter’s provide cities with authority with respect to “municipal affairs,” and Santa Clara’s history with adopting and amending its own Charter over the years. Reasons for why a comprehensive Charter update process should be considered included: although it had been amended from time to time over the years, the Charter had not kept up with changing “best practices” for City operations and State legal requirements, the City itself had grown in population and complexity, and the Charter contained ambiguities, and internal inconsistencies. The presentation included a number of examples of possible Charter modifications that would address some of these issues.

The Committee discussed the proposal and agreed that a Charter update process was warranted.

The importance of keeping the process “professional” and not “political” was emphasized, along with how it would be important to decide what types of changes would be included in any “comprehensive” amendment, and what types of proposals would best be kept separate. The process for how the Charter Review Committee would be selected was also debated. The Committee wanted to be clear that any November 2026 Charter amendment should be limited to modernization, clarification and clean-up items, not major or controversial changes to the Charter. The Committee was mindful that the remainder of 2025 and 2026 will be a busy time in Santa Clara and they did not want to add additional complexities to the City’s existing work program.

Input from elected City Clerk O’Keefe was also solicited and provided. City Clerk O’Keefe provided additional information regarding the Charter’s history, and the provisions regarding the elected City Clerk. He was supportive of staff’s recommendation to engage in this process. A motion was made by Committee Member Park and seconded by Committee Chair Jain to recommend to the City Council to initiate a Charter review process, including potentially having a workshop as part of the recruitment process for the Charter Review Committee, and options for selection of the Committee from the various Council districts (either by Council appointment or lottery).

This item was presented the full City Council for input and direction on July 15, 2025. After consideration of a number of the same issues discussed by the Governance Committee the City Council directed the formation of a Charter Review Committee (“CRC”) to assist with a comprehensive review and update of the City Charter (referred to here as the “Charter Project”). The City of Santa Clara Printed on 9/12/2025Page 1 of 6
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City Council affirmed that the goal of the Charter Project would be to identify provisions in the Charter that should be corrected, clarified or modified in order for the Charter to be fully consistent with applicable state law, aligned with current best practices for City operations and, in general, easier to understand and apply.

The Council action included direction that the CRC be comprised of thirteen (13) total members as follows:
· Seven (7) members to be appointed by the City Council comprised of one member representing each of the six (6) City Council Districts (to be nominated by the City Councilmember representing that District), and one (1) “at large” position (to be nominated by the Mayor).
· Six (6) members to be chosen by lottery, to include one resident from each of the six Council Districts.
· To be qualified, both appointed and lottery selected applicants must be registered voters and residents of the voting Districts they hope to represent or, in the case of the Mayor’s selection, the City at large.
· Simultaneous membership on another City Board, Commission or Committee would be allowed.

Consistent with Council direction, staff proceeded to develop information for the City’s website to notify the public of the available positions on the Charter Project CRC. Information developed included a description of the Charter itself, the intended purpose of the Charter Project, the composition and necessary qualifications for the CRC, and the application period for interested parties of August 1, 2025 through August 29, 2025. The City also advertised the availability of CRC positions through August 29, 2025, with notifications sent out to the City-wide distribution list on August 1st, 13th, and 21st 2025. During the application period, a total of 71 applications were received. Of these applications, after screening by the Assistant City Clerk to confirm residency and voter registration, 60 applications were determined to be qualified.

On September 7, 2025, staff transmitted to Council a list of 59 of the 60 qualified applicants. (An additional applicant, Holly Rhea Roberts, was later determined to be qualified as a potential lottery pick and added to the list.) The list was organized first by applicant preference for appointment (direct appointment, lottery, or both), then by their affiliated Council District (1 through 6), and finally in alphabetical order within their Council District. The applications themselves were also attached.

Councilmembers were advised that they could draw from this list for their selection or, if they had someone in mind for their selection to represent their District (or in the Mayor’s case, at large), and did not see that person’s name on the list, to ask that person to submit an application to the City Clerk’s Office immediately, with applications due no later than September 9, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. PST.

This was to allow sufficient time for the Assistant City Clerk to verify their qualifications and to include the applicant in the staff report for the September 16th Council meeting. Councilmembers and the Mayor have since provided their desired selections (see below).

The selection of the six (6) CRC representatives to be chosen by lottery was scheduled for and occurred on September 11, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers. The random draw process used was similar to that employed for the selection of the Measure I Citizen’s Oversight Committee members. The event was open to the public and was again presided over by our elected City Clerk.

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A copy of the staff report prepared for the September 11, 2025 random drawing event is attached to this report as Attachment 1. A recording of the event can be viewed on the City Legistar webpage or City YouTube channel at YouTube.com/CityofSantaClara. Note: As indicated by the City Clerk at the event, at the time of the drawing there were three (3) potential lottery applicants that had already been chosen as Council selected applicants. There was also an applicant who was ultimately determined not to be eligible because their address was not within the City of Santa Clara.

Accordingly, these applicants were removed from the lottery selection process.

This item now presents for Council action the seven (7) prospective CRC members selected for appointment by Councilmembers and the Mayor, and the six (6) prospective CRC members selected by lottery. Also presented for Council consideration and action is a draft of proposed CRC Bylaws.

These were prepared by staff to help guide the CRC through the Charter Project process.

DISCUSSION
CRC Appointments
At the meeting on September 11, 2025, City Clerk Bob O’Keefe administered the random draw selection for the six (6) members of the CRC to be selected by lottery. All selections were drawn from the list of applicants expressing an interest in being chosen by lottery that were determined to be qualified by the Assistant City Clerk. The applicants selected are as follows:

Lottery Selections
District 1 Holly Rhea Roberts
District 2 Mohammad Naveed
District 3 Joseph W. Sosinski
District 4 Burt Field
District 5 Lauren Diamond
District 6 Mark Boeckman
Each Councilmember and the Mayor provided staff with the following selections for the seven (7) members to be selected by them. All selections were drawn from the list of applicants expressing an interest in being chosen by appointment that were determined to be qualified by the Assistant City Clerk. The applicants selected for appointment by Councilmembers and the Mayor are as follows:

City Council/Mayor Selections
Mayor Gillmor At Large Pat Nikolai
Councilmember Gonzalez District 1 Bernard Thamsey
Councilmember Chahal District 2 John Brooks
Councilmember Hardy District 3 Eric Crutchlow
Councilmember Park District 4 Steve Kelly
Councilmember Jain District 5 Eric Jensen
Councilmember Cox District 6 Susan Peters
These thirteen (13) selections are now presented to the City Council for appointment.

Following Council appointment, staff will contact the newly minted CRC members to schedule their City of Santa Clara Printed on 9/12/2025Page 3 of 6
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25-990 Agenda Date: 9/16/2025
first meeting. The first meeting agenda will include (1) basic training in Brown Act requirements and meeting management protocols; (2) review of the history and function of the Charter; (3) review of the adopted CRC Bylaws (described below); (4) selection of a Chair and Vice Chair (or the option to take this action at their second meeting); and (5) adoption of, or direction on preparation of, the CRC initial meeting schedule.

CRC Bylaws
The proposed CRC Bylaws (Attachment 2) set forth the CRC’s purpose, duties and the applicable rules and operating procedures for CRC implementation of the Charter Project. Key provisions include:

Section 1. Establishment
This Section acknowledges City Council’s formal creation of the CRC through its appointment of its members and approval of its Bylaws
Section 2. Purpose
This Section states the general purposes of the CRC as follows: “The purposeof the CRC is to work with City staff, with input from the community, to facilitate the implementation of the “Charter Project.” The Charter Project involves a process for comprehensive review of the City Charter to identify provisions in the Charter that should be corrected, clarified or modified for the Charter to be fully consistent with applicable state law, aligned with current best practices for City operations and, in general, easier to understand and apply. At the end of the process, the objective of the Charter Project is to produce a draft comprehensive Charter Amendment for presentation to the City Council and, if the City Council so directs, possibly the voters at the November 2026 Election.” Section 3. Duties.

Specified duties of the CRC include:
· Appointment of Chair and Vice Chair [Section 3.1]
· Schedule, Attend and Participate in CRC Meetings [Section 3.2] · Solicit and Consider Public Input [Section 3.3]
· Make a Recommendation to the City Council regarding a Comprehensive Amendment of the City Charter [Section 3.4]
· Comply with Applicable Laws and Ethics Standards (including the Brown Act, Public Records Act, and specified ethical standards) [Section 3.5] Section 4. Membership
This Section sets forth the composition of the CRC, the qualifications of its members, their term for service (through July 2026), and provisions for removal and filling of vacancies.

Section 5. Limitation on Authority; No Compensation
This Section describes limits to CRC member authority, including: no authority to direct staff; no authority to represent the CRC as an individual unless approved by vote of the CRC; and no right to compensation.

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Section 6. Meetings
This Section discusses the expected frequency of meetings (monthly), location of meetings (somewhere accessible to the public within the City), procedures and protocols (Brown Act compliance required, and use of the Meeting Management Protocols in City Council Policy 055), voting/quorum requirements (majority vote), and provision for Ad Hoc Subcommittees that may be assigned specific tasks/areas of review.

Section 7. Staff Support
The City Manager’s office and the City Attorney’s office would be primary staff the CRC, but input would be solicited from all City departments that work with the various Sections of the City Charter that apply to them. Ultimately, any proposed changes to the Charter would be brought back to the Council for a decision on what, if anything, should be submitted to the voters for their consideration at the November 2026 election.

Section 8. Amendments to Bylaws
The CRC can make additional implementing rules, but any amendment to the Bylaws must be approved by City Council
Charter Project Schedule/Timing
As discussed above, the full review process, and any proposed ballot measure would need to be presented to and approve by the City Council by no later than the end of July or the beginning of August in 2026 in order to meet County Registrar election requirements. Considering the Council’s summer recess schedule, unless a special meeting were called, this means the CRC needs to complete its work and make its recommendation to Council by no later than the end of June 2026.

Recommendation
To formally initiate the Charter Project with the formation of the Charter Review Committee, staff is recommending that the Council formally appoint the seven (7) CRC applicants selected by the Council and Mayor, and the six (6) CRC applicants selected by lottery, and approve the draft Charter Review Committee Bylaws in the form presented to establish and guide the CRC in its implementation of the Charter Project.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is an administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.

FISCAL IMPACT
There is no immediate fiscal impact arising from the appointment of the CRC or the adoption of the CRC Bylaws. There will be a significant contribution of City staff time to provide support for the CRC and the Charter Project. The FY 2025/26 and FY 2026/27 Adopted Biennial Operating Budget includes $100,000 in FY 2026/27 for election costs associated with a potential Charter amendment.

This preliminary estimate will be updated and provided to the City Council in July 2026 as party of Council’s consideration of whether or not to proceed with placing a Charter Amendment on the November 2026 ballot. If additional monies are required, a budget action will be brought forward for City Council approval at that time.

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COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Manager and City Clerk’s Offices..

PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the meeting agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email [email protected] or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.

RECOMMENDATION
Appoint the Members of the Charter Review Committee (CRC) selected by the City Council and the Lottery Process and adopt the Proposed CRC Bylaws in substantially the form attached formally establishing the CRC and setting forth the rules and procedures for CRC implementation of the Charter Project.

Approved by: Glen R. Googins, City Attorney
Attachments

1. Staff Report for the September 11, 2025 Lottery Selection Process

2. Draft CRC Bylaw
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Legislation Details (With Text)
File #: Version: 125-1974 Name:

Status:Type: Public Hearing/General
Business
Agenda Ready
File created: In control:8/27/2025 Office of the City Clerk On agenda: Final action:9/11/2025
Title: City Clerk Administration of Charter Review Committee Random Draw Selection Sponsors:

Indexes:

Code sections:

Attachments:

Action ByDate Action ResultVer.

REPORT

SUBJECT
City Clerk Administration of Charter Review Committee Random Draw Selection

BACKGROUND
On July 15, 2025, the City Council directed the formation of a Charter Review Committee (“CRC”) to assist with a comprehensive review and update of the City Charter (referred to here as the “Charter Project”). The goal of the Charter Project will be to identify provisions in the Charter that should be corrected, clarified or modified in order for the Charter to be fully consistent with applicable state law, aligned with current best practices for City operations and, in general, easier to understand and apply.

Council action to form the CRC included direction that the CRC be comprised of thirteen (13) total members as follows:
· Seven (7) members to be appointed by the City Council comprised of one member representing each of the six (6) City Council Districts (to be nominated by the City Councilmember representing that District), and one (1) “at large” position (to be nominated by the Mayor).
· Six (6) members to be chosen by lottery, to include one resident from each of the six Council Districts.
· To be qualified, both appointed and lottery selected applicants must be registered voters and residents of the voting Districts they hope to represent or, in the case of the Mayor’s selection, the City at large.
· Simultaneous membership on another City Board, Commission or Committee would be allowed.

Consistent with Council direction, staff proceeded to develop information for the City’s website to City of Santa Clara Printed on 9/10/2025Page 1 of 4
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File #: 25-1974, Version: 1
notify the public of the available positions on the Charter Project CRC. Information developed included a description of the Charter itself, the intended purpose of the Charter Project, the composition and necessary qualifications for the CRC, and the application period for interested parties of August 1, 2025 through August 29, 2025. The City also advertised the availability of CRC positions through August 29, 2025 and with notifications sent out to the City-wide distribution lists on August 1, 2025, August 13, 2025 and August 21, 2025. During the application period, a total of 71 applications were received. Of these applications, after screening by the Assistant City Clerk to confirm residency and voter registration, 60 applications were determined to be qualified. Of the 60 qualified applicants, 50 indicated that they wanted to be considered for selection by lottery.

This report describes the “lottery” process for the selection of the six (6) members of the CRC to be chosen at random in accordance with Council direction.

DISCUSSION
The following individuals, listed by City Council District, and then by alphabetical order, submitted qualified applications to be considered for appointment to the Charter Project CRC through the “lottery” process:

City Council District 1

1. Rick Andrews

2. Fang (Alice) Huang

3. Holly Rhea Roberts

4. Kathy Watanabe
City Council District 2

1. Brian Brennan

2. John Brooks

3. Martin Gamez

4. Yvonne Inciarte

5. Laurence McColloch

6. Mohammad Naveed

7. Vincent G. Pena

8. Mohammed Taki
City Council District 3

1. Charles Atherton

2. David Baldwin

3. Adonis Bill

4. Janine Cate

5. Michael Judge

6. Fred Lopez

7. Sandeep Sagar

8. Joseph W. Sosinski
City Council District 4
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1. Surak Dasika

2. Manav Deshmukh

3. Saskia Feain

4. Burt Field

5. Steve Kelly

6. Majid Milani
City Council District 5

1. Emma Brunner

2. Lauren Diamond

3. Michelle Eglesia

4. Paul Esber

5. Etenesh Gebretsadik

6. Jorge Haro

7. Lucy Haro

8. Robyn Heinrich

9. Ram Iyengar

10.Eric Jensen

11.David Kertes

12.Jonathan Marinaro

13.Samuel Pumarejo

14.Christine Ying Teng-Henson

15.Graciela Villalobos-Martinez
City Council District 6

1. Mark Boeckman

2. Dana Caldwell

3. Anurag Dixit

4. Subramanyam Dronamraju

5. Ron Enos

6. David Lewis

7. Timothy Tsai

8. Jared Peters

9. Susan Peters
At the meeting on September 11, 2025, City Clerk Bob O’Keefe will administer the random draw selection process to select, from among this list, the six individuals that will serve as the “lottery pick” representatives on the Charter Project CRC. With some modifications, the process used for the random drawing will be similar to that used for selection of the Measure I Citizen’s Oversight Committee. Prior to the drawing, City staff will assign each District its own color of balls. Then, within each District, staff will assign names to the lottery balls with a corresponding number. At the drawing, for each District, the City Clerk will read the names and assigned numbers aloud and place them in a clear tumbler. The tumbler will then be spun, the City Clerk will randomly draw a ball for each seat, and the name of the corresponding applicant will be stated aloud. Additional details will be provided, and questions answered, at the drawing itself.

Once this random draw process is completed, the names of the individuals selected, along with the City of Santa Clara Printed on 9/10/2025Page 3 of 4
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File #: 25-1974, Version: 1
seven (7) individuals nominated by City Councilmembers and the Mayor will be submitted to the Council for appointment to the CRC at the Council’s September 16, 2025 regular meeting. Those appointed will then be contacted and convened by City staff to start the Charter review process.

FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact for the random draw selection meeting for the Measure I Bond Compliance Oversight Committee other than staff time.

COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Clerk.

Approved by: Glen R. Googins, City Attorney
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1 DRAFT

CITY OF SANTA CLARA

CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE
BYLAWS
[Charter Project]

1. Committee Established. On July 15, 2025, the City Council of the City of Santa Clara (“City Council”) directed the formation of a Charter Review Committee (“CRC”) to assist with a comprehensive review and update of the City Charter (referred to here as the “Charter Project”). On September 16, 2025, the City Council took action to appoint the members of the CRC and to approve these Bylaws, thereby establishing the CRC for the purposes, and with the duties, rights and limitations, set forth herein.

2. Purposes. The purpose of the CRC is to work with City staff, with input from the community, to facilitate the implementation of the “Charter Project.” The Charter Project involves a process for comprehensive review of the City Charter to identify provisions in the Charter that should be corrected, clarified or modified for the Charter to be fully consistent with applicable state law, aligned with current best practices for City operations and, in general, easier to understand and apply.

At the end of the process, the objective of the Charter Project is to produce a draft comprehensive Charter Amendment for presentation to the City Council and, if the City Council so directs, possibly the voters at the November 2026 Election.

3. Duties. To carry out its stated purposes, the CRC shall perform the following duties:

3.1 Appointment of Chair and Vice Chair. At its first or second meeting, the CRC, by majority vote, shall appoint a Chair and a Vice Chair from among its members. The Chair shall (a) act as the Presiding Officer of the CRC in accordance with the terms of City Council Policy 055 (Council Meeting Procedures and Protocols), (b) coordinate CRC meeting agendas with City staff, and (c) unless otherwise directed by a majority of the CRC, serve as the spokesperson for the CRC. If the Chair is absent or unavailable, the Vice-Chair shall perform these duties. The Chair and Vice-Chair shall serve in these roles throughout the term of the CRC.

3.2 Schedule, Attend and Participate in CRC Meetings. In accordance with a schedule approved by a majority of the CRC, CRC members shall be expected to regularly attend and actively participate in CRC meetings. In the event that a CRC member is appointed to one or more Subcommittees, the CRC member shall also be expected to regularly attend and actively participate in the meetings of such Subcommittee(s).

3.3 Solicit and Consider Public Input. The solicitation and consideration of public input is integral to the Charter Project. CRC members shall encourage stakeholders within the community to provide input to the CRC and shall work with staff to develop an outreach policy to further encourage such input.

3.4 Make a Recommendation to the City Council regarding a Comprehensive Amendment of the City Charter. To implement the Charter Project City staff will be preparing draft revisions to the City Charter for consideration and input by CRC Subcommittees and or the CRC itself. At the end of the process, the CRC will be expected to make a recommendation to the City Council on one or more proposed amendments to the City Charter. The proposed “top to bottom” review process is intended to be driven by practical and legal considerations, with the prime objective being to bring the Charter up to current “best practices” for City operations. It is not intended to

2 implement any major restructuring of City operations or to change the City’s election process. In the end, it will be up to the Charter Review Committee to recommend, and the City Council to decide which, if any, of the proposed changes will be presented to the voters as part a comprehensive update to the City Charter. In order to coordinate with the City Council’s summer meeting schedule, and to meet the timing requirements for submittals of measures to voters at the November 2026 election, the CRC shall endeavor to finalize and present its recommendation(s) to the City Council by no later than June 29, 2026.

3.5 Comply with Applicable Laws and Ethics Standards. By accepting appointment to the CRC, in the fulfillment of their duties, each member of the CRC agrees to comply with all applicable laws and the ethical standards set forth below:

(a) While serving on the CRC, CRC members shall not make or influence a City decision involving City authority under the terms of the City Charter which will benefit the CRC member's outside employment, business, or a personal finance or benefit an immediate family member, such as a spouse, child or parent. (b) No CRC member shall use his or her position on the CRC to negotiate future employment with any person or organization, receive remuneration of any kind, or obtain any other benefit or advantage.
(c) In their conduct on the CRC, CRC members shall comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, including the policies, procedures, rules and regulations of the City of Santa Clara. Applicable laws and regulations shall include, without limitation, the Ralph M. Brown Act governing the conduct of CRC meetings, the Public Records Act, governing public access to any public records within their possession related to their CRC duties, and the City of Santa Clara Code of Ethics and Values.
(d) A CRC member shall place the interests of the City above any personal or business interest of the member.

4. Membership.

4.1 Composition. The CRC shall be comprised of thirteen (13) total members appointed by the City Council and selected as follows: (a) Seven (7) members selected by the City Council and Mayor representing each of the six (6) City Council Districts (selected by the City Councilmember representing that District), and one (1) “at large” position (selected by the Mayor); and (b) Six (6) members selected by lottery, to include one resident from each of the six Council Districts.

4.2 Qualifications. To be qualified, both Council-selected and lottery-selected CRC members must be registered voters and residents of the voting Districts they represent or, in the case of the Mayor’s selection, the City at large. CRC members must retain such qualifications throughout their tenure. Simultaneous membership on another City Board, Commission or Committee is allowed.

4.3 Term. Except as otherwise provided herein, each member shall serve for the from the date of the first meeting of the CRC until the dissolution of the CRC. Unless otherwise directed by the City Council, the CRC shall be dissolved (30) days after CRC makes its final recommendation and report to the City Council regarding a comprehensive Charter amendment, which is scheduled to occur on or before June 29, 2026.

4.4 Removal; Vacancy. The Council may remove any Committee member for cause, which includes failure to attend two consecutive Committee meetings without reasonable

3 excuse or for failure to comply with the Committee Ethics Policy. Upon a member's removal, the seat shall be declared vacant. The City, in accordance with the established selection process for the subject member shall fill any vacancies on the Committee The City shall make best efforts to fill vacancies within 45 days. Pending the filling of any vacancy or vacancies, provided there are at least seven (7) CRC seats that are filled, the CRC may proceed with the conduct of CRC business.

5. Limitations on Authority; No Compensation.

5.1 Limitation on Authority. Although City staff will be available to assist the CRC in its duties, neither the CRC nor any CRC member shall have the authority to direct City staff in any matter. Individual members of the CRC retain the right to address the City Council as an individual, however no individual CRC member shall have the authority to formally represent the CRC before the City Council, or otherwise, unless they have been authorized to do so by a majority vote of the CRC.

5.2 No Compensation. CRC members are volunteers and shall not be compensated for their services.

6. Meetings.

6.1 Frequency. The CRC shall meet as needed in order to fulfill its duties to facilitate implementation of the Charter Project. It is anticipated that the CRC may need to meet as frequently as monthly. At the end of each CRC meeting, if the next meeting has not already been scheduled, the CRC should identify their next meeting date.

6.2 Location. All meetings shall be held within the City at a location or locations to be determined.

6.3 Procedures and Protocols. The CRC shall be subject to the Ralph M.

Brown Public Meetings Act of the State of California, Government Code Section 54950 et seq. (the “Brown Act”), and shall conduct its meetings in accordance with the provisions thereof. In addition, to the extent practicable, the CRC shall conduct its meetings in accordance with the City Council Policy 055 (Council Meeting Procedures and Protocols).

6.4 Voting. A majority of the number of CRC members (seven (7) members) shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any CRC business. The affirmative vote of a majority of CRC members in attendance at any meeting shall be sufficient to take any action; provided, however, at least seven affirmative votes shall be required to make any recommendation to or request of the City Council.

6.5 Ad Hoc Subcommittees. To facilitate review and recommendations on subsections of the City Charter, the CRC may elect to form one or more Ad Hoc Subcommittees.

Ad Hoc Subcommittees shall be comprised of no less than three (3) and no more than five (5) CRC members. Ad Hoc Subcommittees are not subject to the Brown Act and can meet privately, at times and locations to be determined by Subcommittee members that are mutually convenient to the members and any supporting City staff.

7. Staff Support. The City shall provide the CRC with the necessary technical and administrative assistance in furtherance of its purposes. Such support shall include: training in applicable laws and procedures (e.g., the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, Meeting Management Protocols), technical support at CRC meetings, and presentations on current challenges, shortcomings

4 and recommendations for revisions to the City Charter.

8. Implementing Rules; Amendment of Bylaws. If necessary, by majority vote, the CRC may adopt additional rules and procedures to facilitate CRC operations that are consistent with these Bylaws. Any proposed amendment to the Bylaws must be approved by a majority vote of the City Council.

City of Santa Clara
Agenda Report
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
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@SantaClaraCity
25-599 Agenda Date: 9/16/2025

REPORT TO COUNCIL

SUBJECT
Action on Recommendation from the Governance and Ethics Committee for Approval of Proposed Amendments to Council Policy 035 (‘Naming of City Streets, Parks and Other Facilities”)

BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara currently has an existing Council Policy 035 (“Naming of Facilities”) (Attachment 1), which establishes the criteria and procedures for naming City facilities to ensure naming decisions are made equitably and consistently. However, the existing policy does not address the guidelines and procedures for the naming of parks, recreation facilities, or streets.

The naming of parks and recreation facilities has a separate procedure. Under this process, the Parks and Recreation Department submits naming recommendations for new parks and recreation facilities to the Parks and Recreation Commission, which serves in an advisory role to the City Council. The Commission then forwards its recommendations to the Governance and Ethics Committee and ultimately to the City Council for final approval.

Similarly, the naming of streets is managed through a separate process overseen by the Historical and Landmarks Commission (HLC). The HLC acts in an advisory capacity to the City Council in all matters pertaining to historical landmarks, including the naming and renaming of streets, museums, and the establishment thereof in the City, and the marking and preservation of historical landmarks and places. The HLC makes a recommendation directly to the City Council.

To enhance clarity and consistency in the naming of all City facilities including parks and streets, staff reviewed Council Policy 035 and developed proposed amendments to the Council Policy. These revisions were presented to the Governance and Ethics Committee on June 2, 2025.

At the June 2, 2025 Governance and Ethics Committee meeting, the Committee reviewed the proposed changes to Council Policy 035 (“Naming of City Streets, Parks and Other Facilities”) (Attachment 2), including updates to the street naming process overseen by the HLC. After a robust discussion on Council Policy 035, the Governance and Ethics Committee approved the amendments for consideration by the City Council.

At the Historical and Landmarks Commission meeting on June 5, 2025, staff summarized the Governance and Ethics Committee’s recommended changes to Council Policy 035, including updates to the street naming procedures. The Commission members did not provide any additional comments. Staff informed the HLC this item would be presented to City Council for final consideration and approval.

DISCUSSION
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25-599 Agenda Date: 9/16/2025
To ensure a consistent and equitable approach to naming City facilities including parks and streets, staff proposed revisions to Council Policy 035, retitled “Naming of City Streets, Parks, and Other Facilities.” The intent of the revisions is to consolidate and standardize the currently separate processes for naming City facilities, including parks and streets.

At its meeting on June 2, 2025, the Governance and Ethics Committee reviewed the proposed amendments. Staff presented an overview of the existing procedures, highlighting the variations in how naming recommendations are currently handled by the Parks and Recreation Commission for parks and recreation facilities, and the Historical and Landmarks Commission (HLC) for City streets.

After discussion, the Governance and Ethics Committee approved the revised policy with some modifications. The revisions expand the policy to include streets and parks, in addition to City facilities; to establish consistent criteria for commemorative naming of all facilities; and streamline the review and recommendation process for clarity and uniformity.

The approval included the renaming of the policy; revisions to the criteria for commemorative naming of streets, parks & other facilities; and procedural amendments.

Proposed Amendments to Council Policy 035
The following is a summary of the proposed recommendations approved by the Governance and Ethics Committee. The proposed updated policy also includes clean-up language and corrections.

The proposed amendments to Council Policy 035 are highlighted in Attachment 2 of this report. a) Title: Revise title of policy to: Council Policy 035 (“Naming of City Streets, Parks and Other Facilities”).
b) Criteria for Commemorative Naming of Streets, Parks, and Facilities:

The City Council shall have the sole and final authority to approve names of City streets, parks, and other facilities. The naming of Santa Clara streets, parks and other facilities will be determined with consideration of one or more of the following criteria.

The existing guidelines in the policy are also listed below for naming recognition. The additional proposed amendments for the criteria are bolded and italicized below.

1. Geographic location, demographic information, or prominent environmental feature(s) of the area where the building/facility is located shall be considered.

2. Consideration of names with common or historical usage.

3. Individuals living or deceased, who have made outstanding contributions to the City of Santa Clara community or of regional state or international significance.

4. The contribution of the individual/organization being honored must have demonstrated outstanding achievements, contributions, and/or enrichment of the City of Santa Clara community. The contribution of the person/organization being City of Santa Clara Printed on 9/12/2025Page 2 of 5
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25-599 Agenda Date: 9/16/2025
City of Santa Clara community. The contribution of the person/organization being honored must have extraordinary, significant, and unique, setting this individual/organization apart from others who contributed to the community. This may be evident by documented history of the individual’s/organization’s contributions or receipt of recognitions and awards.

5. The individual being honored by the dedication or naming had a direct and long- term association with the feature or facility such as:
a) Developer of the designated feature
b) Donor of the land to the City of Santa Clara
c) Person who played a large part in protecting the land or feature for public benefit
d) Person who played a large part in providing community services through the feature or facility
e) Where applicable, permission will be sought from the honored individual’s surviving family, preferably, next of kin.

6. Honoring the important contributions and accomplishments of individuals from underrepresented communities.

7. Opportunities to foster a more welcoming, equitable, and inclusive environment as well as to reflect and connect with the City’s diverse community

8. The Committee has proposed to not include this amendment as it is already addressed as a current process subject to City Council approval on donation policies.
i. If negotiated or otherwise required as a condition of property donation or deed, a naming requirement for a park or facility on such property shall be honored, although a geographic or characteristic name is preferred.

9. Names that are similar to existing streets, parks, and facilities or properties in the area should be avoided in order to minimize confusion.

10.The City should avoid changing street names along any continuous alignment. c) Procedural Amendments: The proposed policy includes the following additional amendments to further outline the process for naming proposals.

1. Approved List of Names for City Facilities, Parks & Streets: The Historical Landmarks Commission maintains a list of approved names for streets. The proposed amendment would allow the list to be used for consideration of naming proposals for City facilities and parks as well. This list is updated and approved by the City Council on an annual basis or as needed. The list is not intended to be exclusive, so additional names not on the list may also be considered.

2. Naming of new parks and recreation facilities: The Parks and Recreation Commission will make the initial recommendation to the Governance and Ethics City of Santa Clara Printed on 9/12/2025Page 3 of 5
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25-599 Agenda Date: 9/16/2025
Committee regarding parks and recreation facilities. This process may include a community outreach process via the Parks & Recreation Commission to provide the public an opportunity for input. At least two and no more than three naming recommendations will be presented.

3. Naming of Streets & Other City Facilities: The Historical and Landmarks Commission will make the initial recommendation to the Governance and Ethics Committee regarding the naming of other (non-Parks & Recreation) facilities. The process may include a community outreach process via the Historical & Landmarks Commission, that provides the opportunity for public input. At least two and no more than three naming recommendations will be presented.

4. Role of Governance and Ethics Committee: After considering any recommendations from the Parks and Recreation Commission or the Historical and Landmarks Commission, the Governance and Ethics Committee will make final recommendation(s) on naming of all City parks/recreation and other City facilities to the City Council to be considered at a publicly noticed meeting.

5. Exceptions for Unique Instances for Naming:
i. Expedited Situations: Under circumstances, where an expedited naming process is necessary or appropriate, nominations may be proposed by City staff or members of the public for City parks, facilities, or streets to the City Manager’s Office for consideration and approval by the City Manager. ii. Other Areas Within Facilities: For the naming of areas within City facilities which are primarily used by City employees (e.g. conference rooms, break rooms), the City Manager has the discretion for naming these areas based on special and unique circumstances (e.g. honoring employees). Areas within City facilities that are primarily forward facing (e.g., community rooms) shall follow the process for the naming of facilities generally. In addition, if there are furniture or equipment (e.g. bookshelf), the City department has the discretion for naming these items.
iii. Council Policy 030: A written request by City Councilmembers through Council Policy 030 (“Adding an Item to an Agenda”) may be submitted.

Nominations in compliance with this policy will be recommended to the City Council to be considered at a publicly noticed meeting.

At the September 16, 2025 City Council meeting, staff presents the above proposed amendments to Council Policy 035 for City Council consideration and approval by Resolution (Attachment 3).

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.

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25-599 Agenda Date: 9/16/2025

FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with the approval of the recommendation.

COORDINATION
This report was coordinated by the City Manager’s Office, Parks & Recreation Department, Community Development Department and the City Attorney’s Office.

PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the City Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email [email protected] or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.

RECOMMENDATION
Approve Recommendations from the Governance and Ethics Committee to Amend Council Policy 035 (“Naming of City Streets, Parks and Other Facilities”) Reviewed by: Maria Le, Assistant to the City Manager, City Manager’s Office Approved by: Jovan D. Grogan, City Manager

ATTACHMENTS

1. Current Council Policy 035 ("Naming of Facilities")

2. Proposed Council Policy 035 (“Naming of City Streets, Parks and Other Facilities”)

3. Resolution
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City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual

NAMING OF FACILITIES
Revised 10/10/23 Council Policy 035 Page 1 of 3
Reso. No.23-9270
PURPOSE To establish the criteria and procedures for the naming of City of Santa Clara (City) buildings and facilities. The policy’s overarching objectives are to establish and maintain a system to ensure that decisions on naming opportunities are made in an equitable and consistent manner and that the naming actions maintain current and future alignment with the City’s Mission Statement and Code of Ethics and Values.

POLICY The C ity Council shall name municipal buildings/facilities in rec ognition and consideration of the following:
• Individuals, living or deceased, who have made outstanding contributions to the City or Santa Clara community
• Individuals, living or deceased, who have made contributions of local, state, national or worldwide significance
• Honoring the important contributions and accomplishments of individuals from underrepresented communities
• Opportunities to foster a more welcoming, equitable, and inclusive environment as well as to reflect and connect with the City’s diverse community
• Geographic location, demographic information, or prominent environmental feature(s) of the area that the building/facility is located
• Naming Rights Agreement: Agreements may provide a financial benefit to the City with sponsorships or naming rights agreements for City-owned facilities which aligns with the City ’s mission and values.

Naming proposals will require thorough research to ensure alignment with this policy and with the City’s Mission Statement and Code of Ethics and Values.

The renaming of existing municipal buildings/facilities shall be discouraged and shall occur only under extraordinary circumstances, after thorough study. The process of renaming may be done only after undertaking thorough and comprehensive research and deliberation.

Individuals after whom buildings are named, and who later are found to violate the City’s Code of Ethics and Values or Mission Statement may have their names removed from the buildings that bear their names.

CURRENT POLICY
City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual

NAMING OF FACILITIES
Revised 10/10/23 Council Policy 035 Page 2 of 3
Reso. No.23-9270
Naming Proposals
PROCEDURE 1. Proposals for naming of municipal bui ldings or facilities shall be referred to the responsible Department.

2. Upon receipt of a naming or renaming proposal of a City building or facility, the Department Head will review if the proposed name is reflective of at least one of the following criteria:
a. An individual, living or deceased, who has made outstanding contributions to the City or Santa Clara community
b. An individual, living or deceased, who has made contributions of local, state, national, or worldwide significance
c. Honors the most important contributions and accomplishments of individuals from communities underrepresented in the Named City Facilities List.
d. Presents an opportunity to foster a more welcoming, equitable, and inclusive environment as well as to reflect and connect with the City’s diverse community
e. Geographic location and demographic information of the area that the building or facility is located
f. Prominent geographic or environmental feature(s) of the area that the building or facility is located
The City will maintain an inventory list of all Santa Clara facilities and buildings that have been named, including any available background of why the name was selected (“Named City Facilities List”). Any naming proposal will be reviewed against the Named City Facilities List to confirm that it is not duplicative of previously approved proposals.

If the naming or renaming proposal is reflective of at least one of the criteria, the Depart
ment Head will refer the proposal to the
appropriate City Board, Commission, or Committee.

If the naming or renaming proposal is not reflective of at least one of the criteria, the Department head will extend appreciation of input to the proposer and explain City’s policy regarding naming of facilities.

3. After the Department Head forwards t he proposal, the City Board, Commission, or Committee, shall review all naming proposals at a City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual

NAMING OF FACILITIES
Revised 10/10/23 Council Policy 035 Page 3 of 3
Reso. No.23-9270
publicly noticed meeting and make a recommendation to the, Governance and Ethics Committee which shall consist of three City Councilmembers appointed by vote of t he Council, and the City Manager.

4. The Governance and Ethics Committee shall review all naming recommendations at a publicly noticed meeting and make a recommendation to the City Council for final approval.

5. The City Council shall consider the naming recomm endation(s) at a publicly noticed meeting and will have final approval of all naming recommendations.

6. Upon Council approval, the approved naming recommendation shall be added to the Named City Faci lities List with all associated information.

Renaming Proposals
The process for renaming existing municipal buildings/facilities will follow the same steps as outlined in this procedure. In addition, it will require the proposer to include any and all research supporting the claim that there has been a violation of the City’s Code of Ethics and Values or Mission Statement.

References
8/2003 City Council approved Policy & Procedure 035 Naming of Facilities 1/2010 Amended Policy & Procedure 035 Naming of Facilities 6/10/2019 Amended and Adopted Resolution 19-8752
10/10/23 Amended and Adopted Resolution 23-9270

City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
Proposed Amendments in Yellow

NAMING OF CITY STREETS, PARKS AND OTHER FACILITIES
Revised DATE Council Policy 035 Page 1 of 5
Reso. No. XXXX
PURPOSE To establish the criteria and procedures for the naming of City of Santa Clara (City) streets, parks, and other facilities. The policy’s objectives are to establish and maintain a system to ensure that decisions on naming opportunities are made in an equitable and consistent manner and that the naming actions maintain current and future alignment with the City’s Mission Statement and Code of Ethics and Values.

POLICY

Commemorative Naming of Facilities, Parks and Streets
The City Council shall have the sole and final authority to approve names of City streets, parks, and other facilities.

The selection of commemorative names must be done in a manner that ensures that there is broad based support for the naming and general acknowledgement that the individual being honored has made outstanding contributions to the community.

The naming of Santa Clara streets, parks and other facilities will be determined with consideration of one or more of the following criteria:

1. Geographic location, demographic information, or prominent environmental feature(s) of the area that the building/facility is located shall be considered.

2. Consideration of names with common or historical usage.

3. Individuals living or deceased, who have made outstanding contributions to the City of Santa Clara community or of regional state or international significance.

4. The contribution of the individual/organization being honored must have demonstrated outstanding achievements, contributions, and/or enrichment of the City of Santa Clara community. The contribution of the person/organization being honored must have extraordinary, significant, and unique, setting this
individual/organization apart from others who contributed to the community. This may be evident by documented history of the individual’s/organization’s contributions or receipt of recognitions and awards.

5. The individual being honored by the dedication or naming had a direct and long-term association with the feature or facility such as:
a. Developer of the designated feature
City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
Proposed Amendments in Yellow

NAMING OF CITY STREETS, PARKS AND OTHER FACILITIES
Revised DATE Council Policy 035 Page 2 of 5
Reso. No. XXXX
b. Donor of the land to the City of Santa Clara
c. Person who played a large part in protecting the land or feature for public benefit
d. Person who played a large part in providing community services through the feature or facility
Where applicable, permission will be sought from the honored individual’s surviving family, preferably, next of kin.

6. Honoring the important contributions and accomplishments of individuals from underrepresented communities

7. Opportunities to foster a more welcoming, equitable, and inclusive environment as well as to reflect and connect with the City’s diverse community

8. Naming Rights Agreement: Agreements may provide a financial benefit to the City with sponsorships or naming rights agreements for City -owned facilities which aligns with the City’s mission and values.

9. If negotiated or otherwise required as a condition of property donation or deed, a naming requirement for a park or facility on such property shall be honored, although a geographic or characteristic name is preferred. [Proposed to remove: This section is already addressed as a current process subject to Council approval for donations.]

10. Names that are similar to existing streets, parks, and facilities or properties in the area should be avoided in order to minimize confusion.

11. The City should avoid changing street names along any continuous alignment.

Approved List of Names for City Facilities, Parks & Streets : The Historical and Landmarks Commission maintains a list of approved names for streets. The list may be used for consideration of naming proposals for City facilities, parks and streets. Additional na mes not on the list may also be considered. This list shall be updated and approved by the City Council on an annual basis or as needed.

Renaming Process for Streets, Parks and Facilities
The renaming of existing municipal facilities shall be discouraged and shall occur only under extraordinary circumstances, after undertaking thorough City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
Proposed Amendments in Yellow

NAMING OF CITY STREETS, PARKS AND OTHER FACILITIES
Revised DATE Council Policy 035 Page 3 of 5
Reso. No. XXXX
and comprehensive research and deliberation . Individuals after whom buildings are named, and who later are found to violate the City’s Code of Ethics and Values or Mission Statement may have their names removed from the buildings that bear their names.

The process for renaming existing municipal facilities will follow the same steps as outlined in this procedu re. Where a name is proposed to be removed or replaced the proposer should include any and all research supporting any claim that party whose name is to be removed or replaced has violated the City’s Code of Ethics and Values or Mission Statement.

PROCEDURE Naming Proposals
Naming proposals will require thorough research to ensure alignment with this policy and with the City’s Mission Statement and Code of Ethics and Values.

In General

1. All naming and/or renaming of a facility will be implemented by City Council Resolution.

2. Although the City will have final decision -making authority on any names selected, public input will be received, and other names may be proposed and requested to be considered by the City Council.

3. Should this policy or the implementation hereof conflict with any City Ordinance, Code, or other laws and regulations, the respective City Ordinance, Code, or other laws and regulations shall prevail.

Naming of Parks & Recreation Facilities:

The naming of new parks and recreation facilities may include a community outreach process via the Parks & Recreation Commission, that provides the opportunity for the public to provide suggestions and input based on the criteria outlined in the policy.

1. Nominations for names may be submitted to the Parks & Recreation Commission for review and recommendation by
members of the public.

2. The Parks & Recreation Commission may refer to the approved HLC names inventory list.

3. The Parks & Recreation Commission will provide at least two and no more than three options for naming recommendations.

City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
Proposed Amendments in Yellow

NAMING OF CITY STREETS, PARKS AND OTHER FACILITIES
Revised DATE Council Policy 035 Page 4 of 5
Reso. No. XXXX

4. Names provided by the Parks & Recreation Commission will be considered for review and recommended to the Governance and Ethics Committee.

5. Choosing from the names recommended by the Parks &
Recreation Commission, the Governance and Ethics Committee will make final recommendation(s) on naming of facilities to the City Council to be considered at a publicly noticed meeting.

Naming of Streets & Other City Facilities:

The naming of new streets and other City facilities (non-Parks & Recreation) may include a community outreach process via the Historical and Landmarks Commission, that provides the opportunity for the public to provide suggestions and input based on the criteria outlined in the policy.

1. Nominations may be submitted to the Historical and Landmarks Commission for streets for review and recommendation by the public.

2. The Commission may refer to the list of approved names from the HLC inventory list. The Commission will provide at least two and no more than three options for naming recommendations.

3. Nominations for names may be submitted to the Historical and Landmarks Commission for review and recommendation by
members of the public.

4. Names provided by the Historical and Landmarks Commission for other facilities (will be considered for review and recommended to the Governance and Ethics Committee.

5. Choosing among the names recommended by the HLC, the Governance and Ethics Committee will make final
recommendation(s) on naming of other facilities to the City Council to be considered at a publicly noticed meeting.

Exceptions for Unique Instances for Naming:

Expedited Situations:

Under circumstances, where an expedited naming process is necessary or appropriate, nominations may be proposed by City staff or members of City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
Proposed Amendments in Yellow

NAMING OF CITY STREETS, PARKS AND OTHER FACILITIES
Revised DATE Council Policy 035 Page 5 of 5
Reso. No. XXXX
the public for City parks, facilities, or streets to the City Manager’s Office for consideration and approval by the City Manager.

Other Areas Within Facilities: For the naming of areas within City facilities which are primarily used by City employees (e.g. conference rooms, break rooms), the City Manager has the discretion for naming these areas based on special and unique circumstances (e.g. honoring employees). Areas within City facilities that are primarily forward facing (e.g., community rooms) shall follow the process for the naming of facilities generally. In addition, furniture or equipment (e.g. bookshelf) may be named by the respective City department.

Council Policy 030:

A written request by City Councilmembers through Council Policy 030 (“Adding an Item to an Agenda”) may be submitted. Nominations in compliance with this policy will be recommended to the City Council to be considered at a publicly noticed meeting.

Citywide Inventory List
The City will maintain an inventory list of all Santa Clara streets, parks and facilities that have been named, including any available background of why the name was selected (“Named City Facilities List”). Any naming proposal will be reviewed against the Named City Facilities List to confirm that it is not duplicative of previously approved proposals.

Resolution Council Policy 035 Page 1 of 2
Rev: 6.20.25
RESOLUTION NO. _____

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA
AMENDING COUNCIL POLICY 035 NAMING OF CITY STREETS,

PARKS AND OTHER FACILITIES

WHEREAS, a draft of Council Policy 035, “Naming of City Streets, Parks and Other Facilities” (“Draft Policy”) was presented to the Governance and Ethics Committee (“Governance and Ethics Committee”) for their consideration on June 2, 2025 as an approach to ensuring naming decisions are made in an equitable and consistent manner as part of Council policies and procedures; and
WHEREAS, the Governance and Ethics Committee approved the Draft Policy in substantial form, with revisions, and directed staff to present the Draft Policy to the City Council for its consideration and adoption; and,
WHEREAS, City staff updated the Draft Policy and presented it to the City Council for their consideration at their September 16, 2025 City Council meeting; and WHEREAS, Council considered the Draft Policy, heard public comment, and provided direction to staff regarding any requested modifications; and WHEREAS, such modifications include updated guidelines and procedures for the naming of Streets, Parks and Other Facilities in the City of Santa Clara.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA AS FOLLOWS:

1. Council Policy 035, entitled “Naming of City Streets, Parks and Other Facilities”, attached here as Attachment 1, is hereby approved and adopted commencing September 16, 2025 until further amended. The Policy shall continue in effect until otherwise affirmed, modified or terminated by vote of the City Council.

2. Staff is directed to take such other actions as are necessary to implement, post and distribute the Meeting Policy, including preparation and presentation to the City Council of any necessary modifications to the City Code to reflect the new policy.

Resolution Council Policy 035 Page 2 of 2
Rev: 6.20.25

3. Effective date. This resolution shall become effective immediately, with the Council Policy 035 o go into full effect upon September 16, 2025.

I HEREBY CERTIFY THE FOREGOING TO BE A TRUE COPY OF A RESOLUTION PASSED

AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, AT A REGULAR MEETING THEREOF HELD ON THE 16th DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2025, BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES: COUNCILORS:

NOES: COUNCILORS:

ABSENT: COUNCILORS:

ABSTAINED: COUNCILORS:

ATTEST: ______________________________

NORA PIMENTEL, MMC

ASSISTANT CITY CLERK

CITY OF SANTA CLARA

Attachments to be incorporated by reference:

1. Council Policy 035, entitled “Naming of City Streets, Parks and Other Facilities” City of Santa Clara
Agenda Report
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
santaclaraca.gov
@SantaClaraCity
25-898 Agenda Date: 9/16/2025

REPORT TO COUNCIL

SUBJECT
Action to Designate a Voting Delegate and Alternate(s) for the 2025 League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo on October 8-10, 2025

BACKGROUND
The 2025 League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo will be held in Long Beach, California from October 8 through October 10, 2025. During the Annual Conference, the League of California Cities will convene a member-driven General Assembly at the Cal Cities Annual Conference and Expo on Friday, October 10, 2025.

The League of California Cities issued an informational packet (Attachment 1) advising City Council action by September 24, 2025, as the final date to designate a voting delegate and alternate delegates. The City of Santa Clara is a full-voting member of the League of California Cities. Each member city has a right to cast one vote on matters pertaining to League of California Cities policy.

Per the League of California Cities bylaws, to vote at the General Assembly, the City Council must designate a voting delegate and up to two alternate voting delegates, one of whom may vote if the designated voting delegate is unable to serve. The voting delegate and alternates must be approved by City Council action and cannot be accomplished by individual action or by the Mayor or City Manager alone. Voting delegates will consider and vote on resolutions during the General Assembly.

Potential League of California Cities bylaws amendments are also considered at this meeting.

Resolutions approved during the General Assembly become League of California Cities policy.

The League of California Cities has not received any general resolutions to be considered by the General Assembly at the Annual Conference by their August 9, 2025 deadline. However, there may be petitioned resolutions introduced and qualified during the annual conference which will convene the General Assembly, requiring the City’s voting delegate to vote on behalf of the City. Such vote(s) should align with the City’s Legislative Advocacy Position (LAP) Policy (Attachment 2) and 2025 LAPs and staff will provide support as needed with reviewing any petitioned resolutions.

DISCUSSION
The League of California Cities requests that the City of Santa Clara designate a voting delegate and up to two alternates who will be present at the General Assembly on October 10, 2025 during the conference.

Mayor Lisa M. Gillmor, Vice Mayor Kelly Cox, City Councilmember Albert Gonzalez, City Councilmember Raj Chahal, and City Councilmember Kevin Park are currently registered to attend the 2025 League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo.

As the Mayor will be in attendance, consistent with the position’s designated leadership role and past City of Santa Clara Printed on 9/12/2025Page 1 of 2
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25-898 Agenda Date: 9/16/2025
practice, the recommendation is to designate Mayor Lisa M. Gillmor as the voting delegate for the 2025 League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo. The City Council should discuss and consider delegating two alternate voting delegates for the conference among the Councilmembers in attendance in case Mayor Gillmor or the first alternate is unable to participate.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.

FISCAL IMPACT
The Cal Cities Annual Conference expenses for City Council attendance are included in the FY 2025/26 Adopted Biennial Operating Budget. City representatives participate and represent the City of Santa Clara given the legislative activity that is in the City’s interest.

COORDINATION
This report was coordinated with the City Manager’s Office and City Attorney’s Office.

RECOMMENDATION

1. Designate Mayor Lisa M. Gillmor as the Voting Delegate for the 2025 League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo; and

2. Designate two City Councilmembers as First and Second Alternate Voting Delegates for the 2025 League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo
Reviewed by: Maria Le, Assistant to the City Manager
Approved by: Jovan D. Grogan, City Manager

ATTACHMENTS

1. 2025 League of California Cities Voting Delegate Information Packet

2. P&P 052 Legislative Advocacy Position Policy
City of Santa Clara Printed on 9/12/2025Page 2 of 2
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1400 K Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814 • 916.658.8200 • calcities.org

DATE: Wednesday, July 16, 2025

TO: Mayors, Council Members, City Clerks, and City Managers

RE: DESIGNATION OF VOTING DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES
League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo, Oct. 8-10, 2025 Long Beach Convention Center

Every year, the League of California Cities convenes a member-driven General Assembly at the Cal Cities Annual Conference and Expo. The General Assembly is an important opportunity where city officials can directly participate in the development of Cal Cities policy.

Taking place on Oct. 10, the General Assembly is comprised of voting delegates appointed by each member city; every city has one voting delegate. Your appointed voting delegate plays an important role during the General Assembly by representing your city and voting on resolutions.

To cast a vote during the General Assembly, your city must designate a voting delegate and up to two alternate voting delegates, one of whom may vote if the designated voting delegate is unable to serve in that capacity. Voting delegates may either be an elected or appointed official.

Action by Council Required. Consistent with Cal Cities bylaws, a city’s voting delegate and up to two alternates must be designated by the city council. Please note that designating the voting delegate and alternates must be done by city council action and cannot be accomplished by individual action of the mayor or city manager alone.

Following council action, please submit your city’s delegates through the online submission portal by Wed., Sept. 24. When completing the Voting Delegate submission form, you will be asked to attest that council action was taken. You will need to be signed in to your My Cal Cities account when submitting the form.

Submitting your voting delegate form by the deadline will allow us time to establish voting delegate/alternate records prior to the conference and provide pre-conference communications with voting delegates.

Conference Registration Required. The voting delegate and alternates must be registered to attend the conference. They need not register for the entire conference; they may register for Friday only. Conference registration is open on the Cal Cities website.

Council Action Advised by September 24, 2025
For a city to cast a vote, one voter must be present at the General Assembly and in possession of the voting delegate card and voting tool. Voting delegates and alternates need to pick up their conference badges before signing in and picking up the voting delegate card at the voting delegate desk. This will enable them to receive the special sticker on their name badges that will admit the voting delegate into the voting area during the General Assembly.

Please view Cal Cities’ event and meeting policy in advance of the conference.

Transferring Voting Card to Non-Designated Individuals Not Allowed. The voting delegate card may be transferred freely between the voting delegate and alternates, but only between the voting delegate and alternates. If the voting delegate and alternates find themselves unable to attend the General Assembly, they may not transfer the voting card to another city official.

Seating Protocol during General Assembly. At the General Assembly, individuals with a voting card will sit in a designated area. Admission to the voting area will be limited to the individual in possession of the voting card and with a special sticker on their name badge identifying them as a voting delegate.

The voting delegate desk, located in the conference registration area of the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, will be open at the following times: Wednesday, Oct. 8, 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. and Thursday, Oct. 9, 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. On Friday, Oct. 10, the voting delegate desk will be open at the General Assembly, starting at 7:30 a.m., but will be closed during roll calls and voting.

The voting procedures that will be used at the conference are attached to this memo.

Please share these procedures and this memo with your council and especially with the individuals that your council designates as your city’s voting delegate and alternates.

Once again, thank you for submitting your voting delegate and alternates by Wednesday, Sept. 24. If you have questions, please contact Zach Seals at [email protected].

A
ttachments:
• General Assembly Voting Guidelines
• Information Sheet: Cal Cities Resolutions and the General Assembly

1400 K Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814 • 916.658.8200 • calcities.org

General Assembly Voting Guidelines

1. One City One Vote. Each member city has a right to cast one vote on matters pertaining to Cal Cities policy.

2. Designating a City Voting Representative. Prior to the Cal Cities Annual Conference and Expo, each city council may designate a voting delegate and up to two alternates; these individuals are identified on the voting delegate form provided to the Cal Cities Credentials Committee.

3. Registering with the Credentials Committee. The voting delegate, or alternates, may pick up the city's voting card at the voting delegate desk in the conference registration area. Voting delegates and alternates must sign in at the voting delegate desk. Here they will receive a special sticker on their name badge and thus be admitted to the voting area at the General Assembly.

4. Signing Initiated Resolution Petitions. Only those individuals who are voting delegates (or alternates), and who have picked up their city’s voting card by providing a signature to the credentials committee at the voting delegate desk, may sign petitions to initiate a resolution.

5. Voting. To cast the city's vote, a city official must have in their possession the city's voting card and voting tool; and be registered with the credentials committee. The voting card may be transferred freely between the voting delegate and alternates but may not be transferred to another city official who is neither a voting delegate nor alternate.

6. Voting Area at General Assembly. At the General Assembly, individuals with a voting card will sit in a designated area. Admission to the voting area will be limited to the individual in possession of the voting card and with a special sticker on their name badge identifying them as a voting delegate.

7. Resolving Disputes. In case of dispute, the credentials committee will determine the validity of signatures on petitioned resolutions and the right of a city official to vote at the General Assembly.

Sixty days before the
Annual Conference
and Expo, Cal Cities
members may submit
policy proposals on
issues of importance
to cities. The resolution must
have the concurrence of at least
five additional member cities or
individual members.

How it works: Cal Cities
Resolutions and the General Assembly
General Assembly
General Resolutions Policy Committees
Developing League of California Cities policy is a dynamic process that engages a wide range of members to ensure Cal Cities represents cities with one voice. These policies directly guide Cal Cities’ advocacy to promote local decision-making, and lobby against statewide policies that erode local control.

The resolutions process and General Assembly is one way that city officials can directly participate in the development of Cal Cities policy. If a resolution is approved at the General Assembly, it becomes official Cal Cities policy. Here’s how resolutions and the General Assembly work.

The petitioned
resolution is an
alternate method
to introduce policy
proposals during
the annual conference. The
petition must be signed by
voting delegates from 10% of
member cities, and submitted to
the Cal Cities President at least
24 hours before the beginning
of the General Assembly.

Petitioned Resolutions
The Cal Cities
President assigns
general resolutions
to policy committees
where members
review, debate, and recommend
positions for each policy proposal.

Recommendations are forwarded
to the Resolutions Committee.

Who’s who
The Resolutions Committee
includes representatives
from each Cal Cities
diversity caucus, regional
division, municipal
department, and policy
committee, as well as
individuals appointed by
the Cal Cities president.

Voting delegates
are appointed by each
member city; every city
has one voting delegate.

The General Assembly is a
meeting of the collective
body of all voting
delegates —one from
every member city.

Seven policy committees
meet throughout the year
to review and recommend
positions to take on bills
and regulatory proposals.

Policy committees include
members from each Cal
Cities diversity caucus,
regional division, and
municipal department,
as well as individuals
appointed by the Cal
Cities president.

During the General Assembly, voting delegates
debate and consider general and petitioned
resolutions forwarded by the Resolutions
Committee. Potential Cal Cities bylaws
amendments are also considered at this meeting.

Cal Cities policy
development is a member-
informed process,
grounded in the voices and
experiences of city officials
throughout the state.

For more information visit www.calcities.org/general-assembly Prior to the Annual Conference and Expo
Resolutions Committee
The Resolutions
Committee considers
all resolutions. General
Resolutions approved1 by
either a policy committee
or the Resolutions Committee are next
considered by the General Assembly.

General resolutions not approved, or
referred for further study by both a
policy committee and the Resolutions
Committee do not go to the General
Assembly. All Petitioned Resolutions
are considered by the General
Assembly, unless disqualified.2
During the Annual Conference and Expo
1 The Resolution Committee can amend a general resolution prior to sending it to the General Assembly. 2 Petitioned Resolutions may be disqualified by the Resolutions Committee according to Cal Cities Bylaws Article VI. Sec. 5(f).

City of Santa Clara
Policy and Procedure Manual

LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY POSITION POLICY
PURPOSE To establish clear guidelines for advancing City goals and positions through legislative review and advocacy at the regional, state, and federal levels of government and to provide guidance for City officials who serve on regional, state, and nati
onal boards, committees, and commissions
when they are asked to review public policy matters and issues.

POLICY To attain a comprehensive review of legislation affecting cities, to obtain the Council position on proposed legislation, to make the City’s position known, and to maintain a record of pertinent information, the following guidelines shall be followed.

All legislative reviews are to be made on the basis of the effect on the City and citizens as a whole, and taking into account existing City posi tions, policies, or goals, rather than on the individual’s personal feelings.

The guiding principles for legislative advocacy include and are not limited to:
• Support the League of California Cities and National League of Cities positions on priority bills that benefit Santa Clara. • Protect local revenue sources and prevent unfunded mandates. • Protect and/or increase funding for specific programs and services. • Protect and/or increase local government discretion.
• Advance approved policies such as the City’s Statement of Values, the General Plan, or the Climate Action Plan.

Annually, Legislative Advocacy Positions ( LAP) shall be adopted or updated by the City Council at the beginning of the calendar year to identify specific legislative priorities outside of the legislative guiding principles listed above and posted on the City’s website.

PROCEDURE
FOR

EVALUATING
AND

SUPPORTING

LEGISLATIVE

ADVOCACY
Legislation and issues of interest are brought to the City’s attention through several means: the League of Cali
fornia Cities, the National League of
Cities, the Cities Association of Santa Clara County, Council Members, city staff, citizens, and professional or governmental organizations and legislators. All legislation or issues of interest are to be referred to the City Manager’s Office.

1. City Manager’s Office (CMO) reviews the proposed legislation and, if warrants, requests assistance from one or more departments.

Adopted 10/9/2018
Resolution No. 18-8611
P&P 052 Page 1 of 2
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY POSITION POLICY (cont.)

2. CMO/Department evaluates the bill for its impact upon Santa Clara, recommends a position and potential action, and drafts a position statement or support/opposition letter.

3. If Council has previously adopted a policy directly relevant to the legislation or the proposed legislation is generally consistent with the City’s overall guiding principles for legislative advocacy or LAP, the Mayor or City Manager may sign a letter supporting or opposing legislation on behalf of the city as further detailed below.

4. If a Council policy relative to the legislation does not exist, the issue is politically controversial, or there is significant local interest in the issue, the proposed legislation including a recommendation to support, remain neutral, or not support the legislation is brought to Council for consideration.

5. Letters and other communications expressing the City’s position on legislation will customarily bear the signature of the Mayor in accordance with City Charter Section 704.2 – 704.3. If the legislation’s principal impact affects the City’s operation, the communication may be signed by the City Manager.

6. In order to keep the Council informed of all City communications on legislation, copies of the letter or summary of actions will be distributed to the City Council as information items in the Council Meeting Agendas.

7. Staff will provide and/or coordinate quarterly legislative updates on public policy items of interest to Council and departments.

Adopted 10/9/2018
Resolution No. 18-8611
P&P 052 Page 2 of 2

City Council and Authorities ConcurrentSeptember 16, 2025

City Council and Authorities Concurrent
September 16, 2025