City Council Committees
The City is Recruiting for One (1) Open Seat on the Human Relations Commission (HRC)
Learn more about HRC and apply by July 27 at 4:30 p.m. Explore more on our Recruitment page!
Hybrid meetings for boards, commissions, and committees began March 1, 2022.
Participate in-person at City Hall (Council Chambers and Community Meeting Room) and virtually. Ad Hoc Committees remain virtual only. Check out our Resources for Hybrid Meeting Attendance.
The City Council participates in meeting groups to develop discussion on City matters. The Mayor assigns Council Members to Standing Committees annually. The City Council can also create Ad Hoc Committees based on need. Ad Hocs are short-term Committees for very specific discussions. City Council can appoint up to three members to an Ad Hoc Committee. The 2022 Council assignments for Standing Committees are in-process. Once confirmed, the newly appointed members will be listed here.
City Council Summer Break and Winter Closure
The City Council annually approves a Summer Break and Winter Closure as an adopted Resolution. Within those dates, Council does not hold a regular Council or Standing Committee meeting. At the January 24, 2022 City Council meeting, City Council approved the Resolution 10015 to adopt the 2022 Council Summer Break and Winter Closure dates:
- Council Summer Break is from Wednesday, June 22, 2022 through Sunday, July 31, 2022.
- Council Winter Closure is from Wednesday December 21, 2022 through Sunday, January 8, 2023.
Standing Committees
The City of Palo Alto has five standing committees that focus on varied topics within the City. City Council Members are appointed to a standing committee to view and discuss items referred by the City Council. They then recommend to the City Council the best course of action to take. Standing committees have discussions on continuing topics, which are fixed in a meeting schedule.
- City/School Liaison Committee meets monthly on the third Thursday at 8:30 a.m.
Council assignments and Committee members:
- Mayor Burt
- Council Member Filseth
- Board President Dauber
- Board Vice President DiBrienza (Chair)
- Council Appointed Officers Committee meets on an as-needed basis.
Council assignments:
- Council Member Alison Cormack (Chair)
- Council Member Tom DuBois
- Vice Mayor Lydia Kou
- Finance Committee meets monthly on the first and third Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
Council assignments:
- Council Member Tom DuBois (Chair)
- Council Member Eric Filseth
- Vice Mayor Lydia Kou
- Policy and Services Committee meets monthly on the second Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
Council assignments:
- Council Member Alison Cormack
- Council Member Greer Stone (Chair)
- Council Member Greg Tanaka
- Rail Committee meets on an as-needed basis
- Mayor Pat Burt
- Council Member Alison Cormack
- Vice Mayor Lydia Kou (Chair)
Ad Hoc Committees
The City Council can appoint Ad Hoc Committees to add Council leadership to specific focus areas. These Ad Hoc Committees are created for a set period of time, unless reappointed by the new Mayor in the following year. You can read more about Ad Hoc Committees in the City Council Protocols and Procedures Handbook(PDF, 288KB).
- Housing Element Ad Hoc Committee
Council assignments:
- Council Member DuBois
- Council Member Filseth (Chair)
- Council Member Stone
- Cubberley Ad Hoc Committee
Council assignments and Committee members:
- Council Member DuBois
- Council Member Cormack
- Council Member Kou
- Board Member Collins
- Board President Dharap
- Sustainability and Climate Action Plan Ad Hoc Committee meets on a monthly basis.
Council assignments:
- Mayor Burt (Chair)
- Council Member Cormack
- Council Member DuBois
Other Meeting Groups
Looking for a different meeting group? The City of Palo Alto holds several types of meetings each month. Check out our City Meetings' Agendas Webpage. For all upcoming City events and meetings, explore our City Calendar.