Palo Alto committee unanimously hires Terry Black & Co. for city attorney search; council outlines interview process

The Palo Alto Council Appointed Officer Committee voted unanimously Sept. 22 to retain Terry Black & Company to conduct the recruitment for the cityattorney and authorized the city manager to execute a professional services agreement not to exceed $40,000, with reimbursable expenses capped at $10,000.

The vote followed public comment and interviews with two finalist executive-search firms, Bob Murray & Associates and Terry Black & Company. Committee members said they favored Terry Black based on the firm—s local experience, outreach approach and familiarity with Palo Alto—s leadership team and civic context.

Committee Chair Tom Stone said the group—s goal is to move quickly while preserving candidate confidentiality and quality. Sandra Blanch, Palo Alto—s human resources director, introduced the item and said the committee received written proposals and had previously invited firms back for follow-up questions.

The committee spent substantial time clarifying the recruitment timeline, brochure content and the structure of candidate screening. Nick Raich,…