City Council - June 1, 2026

Council advances interim SB 79 framework

The City Council voted 5-0 to advance staff’s interim approach to the state transit-oriented housing law SB 79 and directed a more targeted permanent zoning review within six to 12 months. That review will go through the Planning and Transportation Commission and focus particularly on California Avenue and the nearby portion of El Camino Real.

The interim package would set standards at 50% of SB 79’s levels for eligible transit-oriented parcels and exclude qualifying locally registered historic resources through Jan. 31, 2032. Staff said existing zoning would continue to control where it is more permissive, and Palo Alto’s 15% affordable-housing requirement would supersede lower state requirements. On California Avenue, staff said the primary change would increase the residential floor-area ratio for mixed-use projects from 0.6 to 1.75 while leaving the overall ratio at 2.0.

Council members debated whether established higher-density corridors should immediately be exempted from the 50% approach. Some favored allowing full SB 79 capacity in those locations, while others opposed making corridor-specific zoning changes without further analysis and public review. The compromise kept the interim framework moving while deferring targeted changes to the permanent ordinance process.

Staff said the temporary ordinances would return for a second reading June 15, when urgency versions also were expected to be considered. SB 79 takes effect July 1.

California Avenue design shifts to a bike-free configuration

Council approved a public-space design for the car-free portion of California Avenue with direction to revise it into a bike-free configuration. Members cited safety concerns about fast throttle e-bikes in a space shared with pedestrians, while some described Cambridge Avenue as a possible through route and California Avenue as a cycling destination rather than a corridor.

Staff had presented a flexible design featuring textured pavement intended to slow bicycles, tactile directional indicators and clustered bicycle parking. Staff said management of bicycle and e-bike access could return to the council as a separate issue.

A proposed $300,000 contract amendment for street repaving is expected to return June 15. Staff said the initial work would cover paving only and that no funding has been identified for broader landscaping, lighting, signage or other elaborate streetscape improvements.

Flock camera decision remains open pending independent review

Council took no final action on Palo Alto’s use of Flock automated license plate-reader cameras and is expected to revisit the issue after an independent assessment. Members requested input on the detailed scope of OIR Group’s review before the work begins. Staff expects to seek an extension of the independent police auditor’s contract before the summer recess, with a report anticipated after the break.

The discussion focused on data sharing, the 30-day retention period, verification of data deletion, vendor accountability and the nationwide-search feature that had operated despite local constraints. Police said the feature was disabled for Palo Alto in October 2024 and that expanded monthly audits would detect a similar reactivated feature within 30 days. Police also said audit logs showed no searches by federal immigration agencies or searches related to immigration or reproductive-care enforcement.

Council members also pressed for measurable evidence that the cameras improve case clearance, vehicle recovery, suspect identification or response times. Staff said it did not have aggregate statistics and instead cited individual investigations involving burglaries, violent crimes and stolen vehicles. Many public speakers opposed continued use because of surveillance and data-access concerns, while supporters cited investigative benefits and urged continued use with stronger safeguards.

Palo Alto has 30 Flock cameras under a contract costing $93,500 annually for the next three fiscal years. State Department of Justice grant funding is expected to cover one-third of the cost during the next two fiscal years.

Rental-policy proposals will return within a year

Council replaced a proposed indefinite pause with a deferral of up to one year for two rental-policy efforts, including further consideration of rent stabilization. The proposals must return to the Policy and Services Committee for review no later than one year. The motion received six affirmative votes, with no negative votes announced.

When the matter returns, the committee also will consider rental-data transparency and possible improvements to the city’s public rental-registry dashboard. Staff said real-time rental data could not be made available soon but could assess the work and provide a timeline. Tenant advocates urged faster registry expansion and renewed rent-stabilization discussions, while an apartment-industry representative opposed additional rent-stabilization work.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting agenda