Skip to content

Title 2 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE

Chapter 2.16 — BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS GENERALLY

Palo Alto Municipal Code · 2026-09 edition · updated 2026-09-29 · Palo Alto

2.16.010 Vacancies.

Any vacancy occurring in the membership of any board or commission may remain vacant until the next regularly scheduled recruitment for that board or commission or may be filled at any time by special recruitment, at the discretion of the City Council.

(Ord. 5208 § 1, 2013: Ord. 2146 (part), 1963: prior code § 2.250.1)

2.16.015 Temporary vacancies.

A member of a board or commission may be granted a leave of absence by the city council, and a temporary vacancy thereupon shall exist for the period of such leave of absence. During the period of such temporary vacancy, the city council may fill such vacancy by a temporary appointment to the board or commission; provided, however, that the period of such temporary appointment shall not exceed the period of the temporary vacancy. At the expiration of such a leave of absence so granted, the member of the board or commission automatically shall resume full and permanent membership on the board or commission.

(Ord. 3162 § 1, 1979)

2.16.020 Removal.

The appointing authority may remove any member with the approval of the council.

(Ord. 2146 (part), 1963: prior code § 2.250.2)

2.16.030 Compensation - Expense allowance.

All members of boards and commissions shall serve without compensation as members thereof. The city council, by resolution, may establish an expense allowance schedule at fixed periodic rates for any or all boards and commissions, based upon estimated expenditures by the members of a particular board or commission over an extended period of time, to reimburse such members for expenses incurred in their service as members thereof.

(Ord. 2747 § 2, 1973: Ord. 2146 (part), 1963: prior code § 2.250.3)

2.16.040 Financial interest of board members and commissioners in contracts.

No member of any city board or commission shall be financially interested in, or a party to, any contract entered into by the city. This section shall not apply to remote interests, or other exempt interests, as defined in Government Code Sections 1090, et seq. or as otherwise determined by the city attorney, provided that such interest is disclosed and the member refrains from participating in any action relating to the contract.

(Ord. 4347 § 1, 1996)

2.16.050 Ex officio members.

Ex officio members provided for by the Charter or ordinances of the city shall not be entitled to vote on matters before their respective boards and commissions.

(Ord. 2146 (part), 1963: prior code § 2.250.5)

2.16.060 Manner of appointment.

(a) The City Clerk shall advertise vacancies or pending vacancies in boards and commissions at least fifteen (15) days before such vacancies are scheduled to be filled. The City Clerk shall exercise his or her discretion in choosing the method of advertisement that will most effectively reach potential candidates.

(b) Concurrent with the advertisement of vacancies or pending vacancies on boards and commissions, the City Clerk shall publicize the application and evaluation procedures that will apply to such vacancies, including the last day on which applications will be accepted for such vacancies.

(c) The City Clerk may extend the deadline for applications, as necessary to ensure a sufficient number of qualified candidates.

(d) Applications received after the deadlines set by the City Clerk shall be held until the next regularly scheduled or special recruitment for the applicable board or commission.

(e) The City Council shall review all applications and shall make a final selection and appointment at a regular City Council meeting after the period for submittal of applications has expired.

(f) All members of boards and commissions shall take an oath of office before commencing their service.

(Ord. 5208 § 2, 2013: Ord. 5090 § 10, 2010)

2.16.070 Schedule of appointments.

(a) The City Council shall review applications to fill vacancies in the following boards and commissions by April of each year:

(1) Utilities Advisory Commission (Chapter 2.23)

(2) Architectural Review Board (Chapter 2.21)

(3) Historic Resources Board (Chapter 2.27)

(4) Planning and Transportation Commission (Chapter 2.20)

(b) The City Council shall review applications to fill vacancies in the following boards and commissions by November of each year:

(1) Public Art Commission (Chapter 2.18)

(2) Human Relations Commission (Chapter 2.22)

(3) Parks and Recreation Commission (Chapter 2.25)

(c) The City Council shall fill vacancies in all other boards and commissions, if any, in April of each year or at another time, at its discretion.

(d) The City Council may fill mid-term vacancies during the next regularly scheduled recruitment for the board or commission or may hold a special recruitment, at its discretion. Special recruitments shall be subject to the requirements of Section 2.16.060.

(Ord. 5643 § 2, 2025: Ord. 5529 § 2, 2021: Ord. 5498 § 3, 2020: Ord. 5354 § 2, 2015: Ord. 5311 § 2, 2015: Ord. 5208 § 3, 2013)

2.16.080 Term limits.

Effective January 1, 2022, no person may serve more than three consecutive terms of office as a member of the same board or commission. This section shall apply to the boards and commissions listed in Section 2.16.070(a), except for the Planning and Transportation Commission, in which no person may serve more than two consecutive terms of office as a member of the same board or commission.

(a) For the purposes of this section, a member will be considered to have served a term of office if he or she serves more than half of a standard term. For boards and commissions with three-year terms, half of the term shall be 18 months. For boards and commissions with four-year terms, half of the term shall be two years.

(b) A member's service that began on or before January 1, 2022 shall count under the provisions of this section only for those members who

served for at least one day on a board or commission between January 1, 2021 and January 1, 2022. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, members of boards and commissions serving as of January 1, 2022 shall be permitted to complete their term.

(c) A member who has served three consecutive terms of office (or two consecutive terms of office for the Planning and Transportation Commission) may remain as a member of the same board or commission for up to six months past the end of the term if no replacement is appointed or until a replacement is appointed, whichever comes first.

(d) A member who has served three consecutive terms of office (or two consecutive terms of office for the Planning and Transportation Commission) shall not be appointed to the same board or commission within one year of the last date of service.

(Ord. 5529 § 3, 2021)

Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.

Ask AI about this code
▸Contents — Palo Alto Municipal Code
Palo Alto Municipal Code
  1. Article VIII — A. Board of Education
  2. Title 1 — GENERAL PROVISIONS
  3. ▸Title 2 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
    Overview
    1. 2.04 Council Organization and Procedure
    2. 2.06 Official City Seal and Logo
    3. 2.07 Post-Government Employment Regulations
    4. 2.08 Officers and Departments
    5. 2.09 Conflict of Interest Code for Designated Positions
    6. 2.10 Cable Television and Open Video Systems - Award of Franch…
    7. 2.11 VIDEO SERVICE PROVIDERS - APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS
    8. 2.12 Emergency Organization and Functions
    9. 2.16 Boards and Commissions Generally
    10. 2.18 Public Art Commission
    11. 2.21 Architectural Review Board
    12. 2.22 Human Relations Commission
    13. 2.23 Utilities Advisory Commission
    14. 2.24 Library Advisory Commission
    15. 2.25 Parks and Recreation Commission
    16. 2.26 Visual Art in Public Places
    17. 2.27 Historic Resources Board
    18. 2.28 Fiscal Procedures
    19. 2.30 Contracts and Purchasing Procedures
    20. 2.31 Property Control
    21. 2.32 Sales and Use Tax
    22. 2.33 Transient Occupancy Tax
    23. 2.34 Real Property Transfer Tax
    24. 2.35 Utility Users Tax
    25. 2.36 Personnel Procedures
    26. 2.37 Business Tax
    27. 2.40 Municipal Elections
    28. 2.44 Official Newspaper
    29. 2.48 Solar Tax Credit
    30. 2.49 Electronic Signatures
    31. Chapter 2.04 — COUNCIL ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
    32. Chapter 2.06 — OFFICIAL CITY SEAL AND LOGO
    33. Chapter 2.07 — POST-GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT REGULATIONS
    34. Chapter 2.08 — OFFICERS AND DEPARTMENTS
    35. Chapter 2.09 — CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE FOR DESIGNATED POSITI…
    36. Chapter 2.10 — CABLE TELEVISION AND OPEN VIDEO SYSTEMS - AWARD…
    37. Chapter 2.11 — VIDEO SERVICE PROVIDERS - APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS
    38. Chapter 2.12 — EMERGENCY ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS
    39. Chapter 2.16 — BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS GENERALLY
    40. Chapter 2.18 — PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
    41. Chapter 2.20 — PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
    42. Chapter 2.21 — ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD
    43. Chapter 2.22 — HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION
    44. Chapter 2.23 — UTILITIES ADVISORY COMMISSION
    45. Chapter 2.24 — LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMISSION
    46. Chapter 2.25 — PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
    47. Chapter 2.26 — VISUAL ART IN PUBLIC PLACES
    48. Chapter 2.27 — HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD
    49. Chapter 2.28 — FISCAL PROCEDURES
    50. Chapter 2.30 — CONTRACTS AND PURCHASING PROCEDURES
    51. Part 6A — SURVEILLANCE AND PRIVACY PROTECTIONS
    52. Part 1 — GENERAL
    53. Part 2 — CONTRACT TYPES
    54. Part 3 — CONTRACTING AUTHORITY
    55. Part 4 — COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION REQUIREMENTS
    56. Part 5 — COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION PROCEDURES
    57. Part 6 — CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS
    58. Part 7 — ETHICS IN CONTRACTING
    59. Part 6A — SURVEILLANCE AND PRIVACY PROTECTIONS
    60. Part 8 — RECORDS AND REPORTS
    61. Part 9 — REWARDS
    62. Part 10 — STANDARDIZATION
    63. Chapter 2.31 — PROPERTY CONTROL
    64. Chapter 2.32 — SALES AND USE TAX
    65. Chapter 2.33 — TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX
    66. Chapter 2.34 — REAL PROPERTY TRANSFER TAX
    67. Chapter 2.35 — UTILITY USERS TAX
    68. Chapter 2.36 — PERSONNEL PROCEDURES
    69. Chapter 2.37 — BUSINESS TAX
    70. Chapter 2.40 — MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
    71. Chapter 2.44 — OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
    72. Chapter 2.48 — SOLAR TAX CREDIT
    73. Chapter 2.49 — ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES
  4. Title 4 — BUSINESS LICENSES AND REGULATIONS
  5. Title 5 — HEALTH AND SANITATION
  6. Title 6 — ANIMALS
  7. Title 8 — TREES AND VEGETATION
  8. Title 9 — PUBLIC PEACE, MORALS AND SAFETY
  9. Title 10 — VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
  10. Title 11 — ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PROCEDURE
  11. Title 12 — PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
  12. Title 13 — IMPROVEMENT PROCEDURE
  13. Title 15 — FIRE PREVENTION
  14. Title 16 — BUILDING REGULATIONS
  15. Title 17 — HAZARDOUS MATERIALS STORAGE
  16. Title 18 — ZONING
  17. Title 19 — MASTER PLAN
  18. Article 7 — AUTHORITY FOR AND SCOPE OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLANS.
  19. Article 8 — PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTION OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLAN.
  20. Chapter 19.06 — SPECIFIC PLANS
  21. Chapter 19.10 — COORDINATED AREA PLANS
  22. Title 20 — PRECISE PLANS
  23. Title 21 — SUBDIVISIONS AND OTHER DIVISIONS OF LAND
  24. Title 22 — PARKS

GoCodebook provides public access, search, citation, multilingual explanation, and practical interpretation of legally adopted building regulations. It is not a substitute for the official ICC or California code publications.