City Council - November 12, 2024

Council advances housing amendments and sets AB 2097 parking rules

The City Council voted 6-1 to approve a first reading of amendments to Municipal Code Titles 18 and 21 implementing recent state housing laws and clarifying existing regulations. In separate votes, it also determined how Palo Alto will apply AB 2097, which removes local parking minimums for qualifying development within one-half mile of a major transit stop.

The council voted 7-0 to direct staff to apply AB 2097 within the transit radius depicted in Attachment B. By a 6-1 vote, it directed the city to calculate required accessible and electric-vehicle charging spaces from the full amount of parking that would have been required without AB 2097, rather than only from spaces a developer provides voluntarily.

Disagreement included how AB 2097 applies to development requiring building permits, including remodels and conversions that remove existing parking. A motion to table the AB 2097 direction pending legal advice failed 3-4. The remaining ordinance actions, excluding the AB 2097 questions handled separately, passed 6-1.

Staff will apply the adopted transit radius and parking approach. The council also directed staff to prepare an urgency ordinance implementing state land-use laws enacted in 2024.

Climate report shows emissions remain well above the 2030 target

The council took no formal action after receiving an annual update showing that Palo Alto's community greenhouse-gas emissions totaled approximately 410,000 metric tons of carbon-dioxide equivalent in 2022. That was 47.4% below the 1990 baseline of approximately 780,000 metric tons, but the city's target for an 80% reduction by 2030 is approximately 156,000 metric tons.

Road transportation accounted for about 61% of 2022 emissions, while natural-gas consumption represented about 35%. Per-capita emissions fell from 14 metric tons in 1990 to 6.1 metric tons in 2022.

Staff outlined a proposed $532,000 whole-home electrification pilot for 100 homes. Its first phase was expected to launch by the end of 2024 or in early 2025 with incentives, financing and technical assistance, followed by a full-service second phase in summer 2025. Proposed support included a $2,500 heat-pump HVAC rebate, while the existing heat-pump water-heater incentive provides up to $3,500. More than 450 homeowners have installed heat-pump water heaters through city programs.

Public commenters generally praised the city's progress while urging faster electrification, clearer communication and more equitable access for renters, lower-income households and multifamily properties. They also advocated for zero-interest financing and consideration of a future natural-gas phaseout date. Mayor Greer Stone supported continued implementation and asked about transportation emissions, the city fleet, EV charging and solar permitting.

Staff plans to bring forward an e-mobility strategic plan and continue studies of multifamily and nonresidential electrification, EV charging, the gas-utility transition and climate-plan funding for policy discussions in 2025.

Five-year public-safety dispatch agreement receives approval

The council authorized a five-year computer-aided dispatch software agreement with Sun Ridge Systems Inc., with Palo Alto's share capped at $339,857. The system will serve the communications departments of Palo Alto, Mountain View and Los Altos through the Tri-Cities Consortium.

The consortium's total purchase is $789,966. Palo Alto's first-year installation and implementation cost is $243,787, followed by annual support of approximately $24,000 beginning in fiscal 2026 and increasing 5% each year.

An unidentified council member raised concerns that the staff materials did not disclose the price range of the three proposals, making it difficult to evaluate Palo Alto's share. The city manager said the selection followed a request-for-proposals process and an extensive suitability analysis rather than a bid process. Staff was asked to provide the proposal price range if the report is made public.

The item was included in a bundled consent action captioned as receiving seven affirmative votes, but the chair then invited a council member to discuss a no vote on the dispatch agreement. The available record therefore does not establish a clear item-specific tally.

Children's Library handling-system contract wins approval

The council approved a $392,800 construction contract with Valhalla Builders for an automated materials handling system at the Children's Library. The consent action also authorized up to $39,280 for unforeseen-work change orders, bringing the contract and contingency to $432,080.

The item included a $540,000 transfer to the associated capital project. Annual operating costs are estimated at approximately $20,000, increasing 3% each year. The consent-calendar vote was recorded with seven affirmative responses.

Staff proposes removing a historic-status label from 1,527 parcel reports

An informational staff report proposed removing the “potentially eligible” historic-status label from 1,527 parcel reports while retaining labels for properties that are designated or have been evaluated as historic resources. Staff estimated that affected properties could avoid approximately $3,000 to $9,000 in historic-analysis costs.

No council action was required. The supplied record contains no aligned transcript for the item, so it does not establish whether the council discussed the proposal.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting packet