Human Relations Commission - January 9, 2025

Traffic safety review ends without a commission recommendation

The Human Relations Commission reviewed Palo Alto’s draft Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan but took no vote and made no formal recommendation. The draft sought feedback on whether the city should aim to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2035 or 2040. Mary Kate Stimmler supported the earlier target and faster implementation, but that was her individual position rather than a commission decision. Adriana Eberle recused herself over stated conflict-of-interest concerns and left before the discussion.

The plan’s analysis of 2018 through 2022 data found that 63% of collisions occurred on 4% of Palo Alto streets. It counted 47 fatal and severe-injury collisions and reported that pedestrians and bicyclists accounted for about 32% of all collisions but 52% of fatal and severe-injury collisions. The 2022 data remained preliminary.

Commissioners focused on school routes, micromobility and several major corridors. Don Barr called for safety data at intersections near middle and high schools, particularly concerning bicyclist behavior. Kaloma Smith raised concerns about e-bike and e-scooter speeds, bike-lane design and Alma Street, while Michelle Kraus highlighted hazardous student travel toward Gunn High School and Palo Alto Link’s unavailability during school arrival and dismissal times.

Council liaison Julie Lythcott-Haims urged the city to coordinate San Antonio Road safety work with housing, transit and active-transportation planning. Staff said the road would be included in the plan. The review also raised questions about whether available equity data adequately identifies residents with limited transportation options. Staff said it was using local poverty, transit and school-route information, along with connections to nearby equity-priority areas, because the Metropolitan Transportation Commission identifies none within Palo Alto.

The city set Feb. 14, 2025, as the deadline for public and commission feedback before staff took the input to the City Council. Staff also proposed developing a citywide speed-management plan and implementing speed-management strategies within five years. A separate bicycle and pedestrian transportation plan, including possible Alma Street facilities, was expected to come forward for adoption by the end of 2025.

Stimmler elected chair and Kraus elected vice chair on 5-2 vote

Mary Kate Stimmler was elected chair of the Human Relations Commission, and Michelle Kraus was elected vice chair on a 5-2 vote. Stimmler’s nomination passed, but a final numeric tally for the chair election was not announced. Kraus and Katie Causey were nominated for vice chair; Causey and Kaloma Smith voted against the motion that elected Kraus.

Smith nominated Stimmler, citing her community outreach, cross-community work and ability to work with data. Eberle declined Kraus’s nomination to serve another term as chair. In the vice chair discussion, Stimmler supported Causey as part of a leadership rotation, while Amy Hsieh and Eberle backed Kraus based on her experience and work involving homelessness and hate incidents.

During the election item, commissioners were cautioned that some members may have discussed the matter outside the meeting in a way that could implicate the Brown Act. Members were told that the discussion needed to occur during the public meeting. The warning described a potential concern rather than a conclusion that a violation had occurred.

Staff seeks volunteers for Jan. 23 homeless count

City staff asked commissioners to help recruit volunteers for the Jan. 23, 2025, homeless point-in-time count, scheduled from 6 to 11 a.m. Staff reported that approximately 25 to 28 volunteers had signed up for Palo Alto and that at least four Stanford participants had registered.

Volunteers were expected to work in groups, using an app to conduct surveys and outreach in assigned census tracts. Unlike in prior years, the surveys were to be conducted during the count rather than through later follow-up. Staff requested registration through the Counting Us app by Jan. 21, while also allowing volunteers to register on the day of the count at the City Hall command center.

Staff also sought hygiene products and gift cards as incentives for survey participants. The county was expected to provide some incentives, but staff said the amount available to Palo Alto was not yet known.

Faith-leader event remains unsettled as listening sessions are discussed

Plans for a faith-leader gathering remained preliminary, with commissioners discussing whether to combine proposed gatherings into one event. Members differed over whether it should focus on police and security issues or connect faith communities more broadly with city services and resources. A February date and the Police Department’s new headquarters were discussed, but no date, venue, format or group of participating departments was selected.

A three-member ad hoc group was expected to continue developing the event and make recommendations, but the commission took no formal vote. Commissioners also discussed an immigrant-community know-your-rights and listening session tentatively planned for February or March, a child-care listening session tentatively targeted for April, a future financial-security forum and possible coordination with a youth climate-related body.

Separately, Barr suggested exploring a small community advisory group with Jewish, Islamic and potentially Christian perspectives to advise the commission on matters such as anti-hate-speech training and cross-community dialogue. Staff cautioned that the matter was not agendized for substantive discussion and recommended consulting staff about the commission’s previous dialogue initiatives and community contacts. No action was taken.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting packet