PALO ALTO — At an all-day council retreat, the Palo Alto City Council on Friday adopted four headline priorities for 2025 and directed staff to develop focused, time‑bound objectives to implement them.

The council approved final language for each priority by unanimous votes: ‘‘Implementing housing strategies for social and economic balance,’’ ‘‘Climate action and adaptation and natural environment protection,’’ ‘‘Economic development and retail vibrancy,’’ and ‘‘Public safety, wellness & belonging.’’ Council members said the final wording is intended to make the priorities clearer to the public and to staff who will translate them into deliverables.

Why it matters: Council members said the concise priorities will guide staff workplans, budget choices and committee assignments through the year. City staff told the council they will convert the priorities into a set of strategic objectives that are time‑bound and measurable; a first draft of those objectives will be brought back to the council for review on Feb. 24.

What the council did and voted on
- Housing: By unanimous vote the council adopted the motion to frame the housing priority as "implementing housing strategies for social and economic balance." The council recorded all members voting yes.
- Climate/natural environment: The council substituted "climate action and adaptation and natural environment protection" for the prior wording; the substitution passed unanimously.
- Economic development: The council replaced the prior label with "economic development and retail vibrancy" to underscore downtown and Cal Ave priorities; that change passed unanimously.
- Community priority: The council approved new wording focusing the priority on "public safety, wellness & belonging," again by unanimous vote.

The council also agreed to formalize four Brown Act committees to help carry forward work on priorities: rail (grade separations and related safety/traffic issues), retail (downtown and Cal Ave revitalization), SCAP/climate (the city’s climate and natural‑environment work), and a Cubberley committee to develop the next steps for the Cubberley site plans and any possible ballot measure. Council members agreed these committees will operate under the Brown Act (public meetings) to increase transparency. The council further noted that rail and retail committees are expected to meet roughly every other month, with additional meetings as needed.

Public input and survey findings
City staff presented results from the city’s December community survey, which drew about 431 respondent submissions and nearly 600 site visitors. "Community health, safety, wellness, and belonging was their first priority," Megan Hargent Taylor, the city’s chief communications officer, told the council during the presentation of survey themes. The staff presentation summarized common public comments grouped under climate/environment, community building, economic development and transition, fiscal responsibility, housing, infrastructure and utilities, and public safety.

During the meeting’s public comment period, community speakers urged the council to prioritize a range of items that intersected with the adopted priorities: a proposed soda tax to fund health and wellness programs (Dr. Ken Horowitz); continued and updated suicide‑prevention policy work and stronger engagement of people with lived experience (Maura Ullman of Youth Community Service); funding for flood protections and storm‑drain projects for neighborhoods at risk; stronger action on aircraft noise and elimination of leaded fuel at Palo Alto Airport; continued emphasis on electrification and the new whole‑home electrification pilot; and downtown retail vitality and management of rapid growth in recreational activities such as pickleball. Several speakers urged more aggressive wildfire and flood adaptation work in response to recent large regional fires and floods.

Council discussion and next steps
Council members discussed how to turn the four headline priorities into a manageable list of strategic objectives staff can deliver in a one‑year timeframe while acknowledging many items will remain multi‑year efforts. City Manager Ed Shikada told the council that staff will return Feb. 24 with an initial draft of objectives and that the council will have further opportunities to refine timing, milestones and resource implications. Deputy City Manager Chantal Cotton Gaines told the council topics that are not explicitly listed as headline priorities may still be included as objectives where the council directs, for example on homelessness services.

Quotes
- "If you don't have your health, nothing else really matters," said Dr. Ken Horowitz during public comment urging consideration of a public health funding measure.
- "Community health, safety, wellness, and belonging was their first priority," Megan Hargent Taylor said summarizing the survey findings presented to the council.

Ending
Staff will draft specific, time‑bound objectives tied to the four approved priorities and present them for council review at the Feb. 24 council meeting. Council members asked staff to highlight which objectives are one‑year deliverables and which will likely be multi‑year undertakings, and to identify the resources required to meet the council’s expectations.

Votes at a glance
- Motion: Implementing housing strategies for social and economic balance — Outcome: approved (recorded as unanimous by roll call).
- Motion: Change wording to "climate action and adaptation and natural environment protection" — Outcome: approved (unanimous).
- Motion: Economic development and retail vibrancy — Outcome: approved (unanimous).
- Motion: Public safety, wellness & belonging — Outcome: approved (unanimous).
- Motion: Create Brown Act committees for rail, retail, SCAP/climate and Cubberley; set rail and retail to meet approximately every other month (chair discretion to call additional meetings) — Outcome: approved (unanimous).