Palo Alto committee recommends striking "unusual" language and three‑year limit from council priorities

The Palo Alto Policy and Services Committee on Tuesday recommended that the City Council amend the city council procedures and protocols handbook to remove language saying council priorities should be "particular, unusual, and significant" and the clause limiting priorities to three years. The committee discussed staff recommendations for the 2025 priority‑setting retreat and voted to forward the handbook changes and retreat guidance to council.

Committee members said the handbook wording does not reflect how the council actually uses priorities, which members described as guiding the regular work plan rather than representing occasional or exceptional projects. "These are not unusual," Council Member Lythcott Haines said of climate, housing and other standing priorities, and she proposed removing the word "unusual" and the three‑year expiration language. Council Member Tanaka said the current process "has no consequence" and called the existing language a "big waste of time" unless priorities are better connected to measurable objectives.

Staff presented an overview of the priority‑setting process and recommended retreat elements, including a visioning session, discussion and approval of priorities, evaluation of staff capacity and resources, and identification of necessary community engagement and ad hoc committees. Assistant to the City Manager Lupita Alamos told the committee that the handbook has been substantially revised in prior years and staff recommended no further substantive review before the retreat but said clarifying wording changes could be proposed.

Committee members debated how priorities connect to the staff work plan. Haines noted that the council placemat and staff work plan list specific objectives under each priority and said the handbook should reflect that relationship so new members are not confused. Staff explained that objectives are developed as "SMART" goals tied to capacity and resources and that the city produces quarterly progress reports on priorities.

The committee also discussed limiting mayoral appointments to city ad hoc committees prior to the retreat while allowing regional appointments to proceed. Members sought a larger, easier‑to‑read placemat (11x17) showing objectives and timelines for the retreat. The committee asked staff to provide a redline showing the proposed handbook edits when the recommendation goes to council.

The committee voted unanimously to recommend the handbook language change (remove the word "unusual" and the three‑year limit) and to forward the retreat recommendations to the City Council for consideration in advance of the January retreat.