City Council - October 28, 2024

Council approves wastewater contract and other consent spending

The City Council approved a construction contract of up to $6,215,000 with Anderson Pacific Engineering Construction Inc., authorized up to $621,500 in change orders and approved an amendment to an existing agreement with Carollo Engineers Inc. The action was taken as part of the consent calendar.

Before the approval, one councilmember said the wastewater treatment plant is a shared facility and argued that Palo Alto’s share of capital costs should be reconsidered because other participating cities have grown relative to Palo Alto. The councilmember said the report did not show that the allocation had been updated.

The council also approved a $453,300 construction contract with Tennyson Electric LLC, with authorization for up to $45,330 in change orders. It accepted $204,005 in state Citizens Options for Public Safety funding for front-line law enforcement expenses and amended the fiscal 2025 budget accordingly.

Council weighs clearer nonprofit rules and lighter reporting

The council took no formal action on a proposed framework governing grants, contracts, facility use and other city relationships with nonprofits. Members generally supported greater transparency and accountability but said requirements should be proportionate to the size and type of each partnership rather than imposed through a single standard.

Staff said the proposal followed a 2022 nonprofit audit and was intended to address service alignment, equitable access, financial oversight, measurable results and exceptions for one-time funding requests. Councilmembers asked for clearer funding pathways, regular evaluation standards and consideration of the value nonprofits receive through below-market or no-rent use of city property.

Several councilmembers said nonprofit outreach should have occurred before the study session and warned that audits, reporting requirements and lease reviews could burden smaller organizations. Public commenters likewise urged the city to account for differences among human services, child care, recreation and arts organizations.

Staff plans to consult nonprofit partners through workshops, listening sessions or surveys before developing recommendations. Councilmembers discussed a possible return by the end of the first quarter of 2025, potentially through the Policy and Services Committee, but did not formally establish that schedule.

Tesla release prompts calls for faster public notice

Councilmembers pressed staff to improve public notification following the Tesla materials release at 1501 Page Mill. They said residents should have been alerted sooner, called for mitigation of any salinity effects and requested clearer explanations of the materials involved and their potential environmental and health risks.

The city manager said the reported 9,916-gallon figure represented total liquid volume, including cleanup flushing water, rather than 9,916 gallons of hazardous material. Councilmembers also sought clearer information about the sodium hydroxide concentration and dilution and about what staff described as a non-hazardous dye.

Staff planned a community town hall for 5 p.m. Friday at the Ventura Community Center to provide updates and answer questions. The city also plans to work with the Fire Department on notification protocols for future releases that could pose a public risk.

Priority-setting meeting moves to Saturday

The council unanimously approved its 2025 calendar after moving the annual priority-setting meeting from Monday, Jan. 27, to Saturday, Jan. 25. No council meeting will be held Jan. 27.

Councilmembers said a Saturday session could support a more informal format and make the event more accessible to the public. The adopted schedule also includes special meetings on Jan. 21 and Feb. 24, with the latter scheduled because of the Presidents Day closure.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting agenda