Palo Alto begins review of consultant practices after contested turf study and public records requests

City staff on Oct. 22 told the Palo Alto City Council they are developing a formal set of best practices for procuring and managing consultants, citing a recent turf study as an example of a project that drew heavy public attention, many records requests and sharply divided views.

Catherine Fortenberry, the city’s management fellow leading the work, told the council the review covers consultant engagements “from inception through completion,” including budgeting, procurement, project management, community engagement and closeout evaluation. “Our goal here is to reinforce the city of Palo Alto as a leader in ensuring and producing innovative and accountable consultant services,” Fortenberry said.

Fortenberry said staff interviewed in-house staff across departments and established a new…