City of Santa Clara
Meeting Agenda
Governance and Ethics Committee
Special Meeting
City Hall – Council Chambers
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
6:00 PMMonday, April 13, 2026
The City of Santa Clara is conducting Governance and Ethics Committee meetings in-person and continues to have methods for the public to participate remotely or in-person.
• Via Zoom: https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/98559951444
• Webinar ID: 985 5995 1444
• By phone: +1 669 444 9171
To submit written public comment before meeting:
Send email to [email protected] by 10 a.m. one day before the date of the meeting. Emails will be forwarded to Committee members and will be uploaded as supplemental meeting material.
Note: Emails received as public comment will not be read aloud during the meeting.
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
CONSENT CALENDAR
1. Approval of the March 30, 2026 Governance and Ethics Committee Special Meeting Minutes
26-430
Approval of the March 30, 2026 Governance and
Ethics Committee Special Meeting Minutes
Recommendation:
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
[This item is reserved for persons to address the body on any matter not on the agenda that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the body. The law does not permit action on, or extended discussion of, any item not on the agenda except under special circumstances. The governing body, or staff, may briefly respond to statements made or questions posed, and appropriate body may request staff to report back at a subsequent meeting.]
GENERAL BUSINESS
Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Agenda April 13, 2026
2. Review and Action on the 2026 Governance and Ethics
Committee Workplan (CONTINUED FROM MARCH 30, 2026)
26-429
Approve the 2026 Governance and Ethics Committee
Workplan with any additional amendments.
Recommendation:
3. Action on Council Policy Establishing an Annual Performance Review Process for Council Appointees (DEFERRED FROM
MARCH 30, 2026)
26-428
Approve a new Council policy for the Performance
Evaluation Process for Council Appointees, and
present the proposed new Council policy to the full
City Council for consideration and approval.
Recommendation:
STAFF REPORT
Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Agenda April 13, 2026
COMMITTEE MEMBER REPORTS / FUTURE REFERRALS FOR CONSIDERATION
1. Gift policy for under $50
2. City Council Meeting Schedule: Increase the number of calendared City Council Meetings from 2 per month to 3 per month or 36 total. July and August split for break is inconsistent with other agencies
3. Review Council Policy 042 ( “Reconsideration of Council Action ”) including adjunct topics such as definition of prevailing party
4. Review Council Policy 030 ( “Adding an Item to the Agenda ”) - Clear up ability to do 030 requests in response to public presentations without consultation of City Staff in advance. Isn’t the rule no action from public presentations?
5. Develop a policy to defer items when there is a quorum but requires unanimous vote. Perhaps also when an item requires N votes and N+1 councilmembers are present.
6. City Council Meeting Agenda Posting: Improve tentative meeting agendas and require agenda packets published by EOB on Thursdays instead of Fridays
7. Public Record Act (PRA) Policy Review: Restrictions on spurious PRA requests
8. Rank Choice Voting
9. More funding for commissioners to attend conferences – a budget process
10. Healthcare for Councilmembers
11. Per councilmember travel budgets by district
12. Increasing City Council pay
13. Hiring an “ethics” consultant to guide candidates for elections. “Last word forum” – not dependent on City Clerk .
Use of Council Chamber for debates, etc. Hiring League of Women’s voters to run a candidate forum.
14. Fix Lobbyist ordinance and registrations
15. Separate “mayorandcouncil” email account for public and for councilmembers to use
16. Clarification of Councilmember behests
17. Tracking of District level services and budgets
18. Change policy on action minutes from commissions and committees or require transcripts of meetings to be posted on Legistar
19. Clearer process for how Commissions create their workplans – less staff driven
20. Update City Code on HOA bylaws to be approved by Council (Keith Stattenfield at 1/11/2022 council meeting)
21. Formal Standards for Reappointments to Boards and Commissions:
- Consistent attendance and active engagement at board meetings; - Fulfillment of general or assigned board duties and responsibilities; -Compliance with all applicable City rules and regulations; -Maintenance of any required qualifications to serve;
-Legal conflicts of interest that may materially restrict a member ’s ability to participate in board or commission ’s decision-making;
-Communicated reservations or apparent limitations on a member ’s availability or capacity to serve for the duration of the upcoming term.
22. Formalize when Commissioners absence can be excused or not excused
23. Review of all policy changes since 2023
24. Review of Council Priorities since 2021
25. Democracy in processes (in particular review of 030 policy)
26. AI policies
27. Data Retention schedules
28. Policies regarding response times to public outreach
ADJOURNMENT
The next scheduled meeting for the Governance and Ethics Committee is a special meeting on April 30, 2026 at 10 a.m.
Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Agenda April 13, 2026
MEETING DISCLOSURES
The time limit within which to commence any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi -adjudicative decision made by the City is governed by Section 1094.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure, unless a shorter limitation period is specified by any other provision. Under Section 1094.6, any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi -adjudicative decision made by the City must be filed no later than the 90th day following the date on which such decision becomes final. Any lawsuit or legal challenge, which is not filed within that 90-day period, will be barred. If a person wishes to challenge the nature of the above section in court, they may be limited to raising only those issues they or someone else raised at the meeting described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Santa Clara, at or prior to the meeting. In addition, judicial challenge may be limited or barred where the interested party has not sought and exhausted all available administrative remedies.
If a member of the public submits a speaker card for any agenda items, their name will appear in the Minutes. If no speaker card is submitted, the Minutes will reflect "Public Speaker." In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), the City of Santa Clara will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities, and will ensure that all existing facilities will be made accessible to the maximum extent feasible. The City of Santa Clara will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities including those with speech, hearing, or vision impairments so they can participate equally in the City ’s programs, services, and activities. The City of Santa Clara will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities.
Agendas and other written materials distributed during a public meeting that are public record will be made available by the City in an appropriate alternative format. Contact the City Clerk ’s Office at 1 408-615-2220 with your request for an alternative format copy of the agenda or other written materials.
Individuals who require an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or any other disability -related modification of policies or procedures, or other accommodation, in order to participate in a program, service, or activity of the City of Santa Clara, should contact the City ’s ADA Coordinator at 408-615-3000 as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.