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Title 2 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE

Part 2 — CONTRACT TYPES

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

2.30.100 Public works contract.

A public works contract includes a contract paid for in whole or in part out of public funds for the construction, alteration, repair, improvement, reconstruction or demolition of any public building, facility, street, sidewalk, utility, park or open space improvement, or other public improvement.

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

2.30.110 Contract for goods.

A contract for goods includes a contract or purchase order for the purchase of supplies, materials or equipment, including, without limitation, office supplies, janitorial supplies, furnishings, equipment, machinery, tools, vehicles, computer hardware and software and other personal property, materials or goods. A contract for goods includes a blanket purchase order contract, where a specified quantity of units to be purchased is not established at the time the contract is executed. A blanket purchase order contract must establish a maximum dollar amount of expenditure for the contract and set forth pricing terms for the items to be purchased. A contract for goods may include labor incidental to the purchase of goods, including any set-up, installation, and testing services.

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

2.30.120 General services contract.

A general services contract includes a contract providing for work, labor or services not requiring specialized experience, knowledge or training with or without the furnishing of goods, materials, supplies or equipment, including, without limitation:

(a) Maintenance of public buildings, streets, parks and playgrounds and other public improvements;

(b) Repair, modification and maintenance of equipment or other goods;

(c) Licensing, installation and maintenance of or relating to information technology property, goods and services, including, without limitation, computer hardware and software, and data storage services, unless the information technology services would require specialized certification, knowledge, expertise, or training are needed and provided;

(d) Janitorial services, uniform cleaning, tree trimming, street sweeping, power washing and landscape maintenance;

(e) Leasing or licensing of goods and other personal property for use by the city; and

(f) General class instruction, including, without limitation, recreation class instruction services.

(Ord. 5494 § 7, 2020: Ord. 5387 § 1 (part), 2016: Ord. 4827 § 1 (part), 2004)

2.30.130 Professional services contract.

A professional services contract includes a contract for services which involves the exercise of professional discretion and independent judgment based on specialized certification, knowledge, expertise or training. These services may include, without limitation, those provided by accountants, actuaries, auditors, appraisers, architects, attorneys, engineers, financial advisors, information technology experts, instructors, and environmental and land use planners.

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

2.30.140 Contracts for wholesale utility commodities and services.

A contract for wholesale utility commodities and services include a contract with a private or public supplier of utility commodities and services or other counterparty (in the case of gas or electricity) for the purchase or sale-incidental-to-purchase of water, gas or electricity and all related supplemental or ancillary services, and any other energy-related contract, including, without limitation: transmission; renewable energy credits; offsets; allowances; energy procured via a “feed in tariff,” and regulatory compliance instruments. A contract for wholesale utility commodities and services further includes, without limitation, a master agreement containing general terms and conditions that provide for the execution of one or more purchase or sale-incidental-to-purchase transactions under the terms of a standard form contract and any exhibit, addendum or confirmation.

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

2.30.150 Contracts for dark fiber optics licensing services.

A contract for dark fiber optics licensing services includes a contract with any person, including, without limitation, a telecommunications or non- telecommunications carrier, an internet services provider, a distributed antenna system services provider, or a small cell technology services provider for the licensing of city-owned, installed and maintained dark fiber optics and related facilities, if any, located in the public rights-of-way and public utility easements. A telecommunications carrier includes any person subject to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, as amended, or other federal law now or hereinafter in effect.

(Ord. 5494 § 8, 2020: Ord. 5387 § 1 (part), 2016: Ord. 4827 § 1 (part), 2004)

2.30.160 Emergency contracts.

A contract for goods or services necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare in the event of an emergency. An emergency means and includes an urgent unforeseen event that threatens life, property, or the general public health, safety and welfare, including, without limitation, an emergency declared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The City Manager is authorized to conclude an emergency exists without further declaration by the Council.

(Ord. 5387 § 1 (part), 2016)

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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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