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Title 2 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE

Part 7 — ETHICS IN CONTRACTING

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

2.30.600 Ethics.

(a) Statement of Policy. City employees shall discharge their duties impartially so as to assure fair competitive access to city contracting opportunities by responsible consultants and contractors. Moreover, they shall conduct themselves in a manner as will foster public confidence in the integrity of city contracting policies, procedures and activities.

(b) Conflict of Interest. No city employee shall participate directly or indirectly in a city contract when the employee knows that:

(1) The employee or any member of the employee’s immediate family has a financial interest pertaining to the contract; or

(2) The employee or any member of the employee’s immediate family is negotiating or has an employment arrangement which is contingent upon or will be affected by the contract.

(c) Withdrawal from Participation. Upon the discovery of an actual or potential conflict of interest, an employee shall promptly withdraw from further participation in the contract procurement process.

(d) Gratuities. No person shall offer, give or agree to give any city employee any gratuity, discount or offer of employment in connection with the award of a contract by the city. No city employee shall solicit, demand, accept or agree to accept from any other person a gratuity, discount or an offer of employment in connection with a city contract.

(Ord. 5387 § 1 (part), 2016: Ord. 4827 § 1 (part), 2004)

2.30.610 Preparation of bid or proposal documents.

In accordance with State conflict of interest law, a contractor or consultant that prepares, advises or assists in the preparation of plans and/or specifications that will be included as part of an invitation for bids or request for proposals shall be ineligible: (i) to submit a bid or proposal under that invitation for bids or request for proposals; (ii) to be a subcontractor or sub-consultant under a bid or proposal under that invitation for bids or request for proposals; and (iii) to be a subcontractor or sub-consultant under (or have any interest in) a contract arising from that invitation for bids or request for proposals. This ineligibility shall not apply where a single entity acts as both the designer and builder of the same project pursuant to a

design-build procurement contract or other alternative procurement method-based contract as may be permitted by law. Nothing in this section is intended to differ from State conflict of interest law, as may be amended from time to time, and in the event of a conflict between this section and State conflict of interest law, State conflict of interest law shall control.

(Ord. 5494 § 30, 2020: Ord. 5387 § 1 (part), 2016: Ord. 4827 § 1 (part), 2004)

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▸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

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