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Palo Alto city manager urges clearer partnering norms between commissions and staff
Summary
City Manager Ashoka briefed the Human Relations Commission on a staff-driven proposal for norms to guide commission–staff interactions, prompting discussion about private feedback to staff, informal staff–commission engagement and when to take matters to a retreat.
City Manager Ashoka told the Human Relations Commission on Thursday that the city is pursuing a proactive effort to establish clearer expectations for how commissioners and staff work together, saying, “I am not here because there's a problem,” and framing the item as preventive rather than disciplinary.
The presentation summarized staff feedback collected across multiple city boards and commissions and proposed a short list of “partnering norms” intended to protect staff, support commissioners and keep public meetings productive. Ashoka said the proposal reflects the staff perspective and is intended as a starting point for cross‑commission conversation rather than a…
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