City Council Committees

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 2023 Council assignments can be found here.

Wondering how to join a City meeting and provide public comment?
Check out Resources for Hybrid Attendance and our Public Comment Policy(PDF, 409KB).

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: 
    • Council Member Julie Lythcott-Haims (Chair)
    • Council Member Pat Burt
    • Board Member Todd Collins
    • Board Member Shounak Dharap
  • Council Appointed Officers Committee meets on an as-needed basis.
    Council assignments:
    • Vice Mayor Greer Stone (Chair)
    • Council Member Pat Burt
    • Mayor Lydia Kou
  • Finance Committee meets monthly on the first and third Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
    Council assignments:
    • Council Member Pat Burt (Chair)
    • Council Member Julie Lythcott-Haims
    • Vice Mayor Stone 
  • Policy and Services Committee meets monthly on the second Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
    Council assignments:
    • Council Member Greg Tanaka (Chair)
    • Council Member Ed Lauing
    • Council Member Vicki Veenker
  • Rail Committee meets on an as-needed basis
    • Council Member Pat Burt (Chair)
    • Council Member Ed Lauing
    • Council Member Vicki Veenker

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).

  • Cubberley Ad Hoc Committee
     Council assignments and Committee members:
    • Mayor Lydia Kou 
    • Council Member Lythcott-Haims
  • Sustainability and Climate Action Plan Ad Hoc Committee meets on a monthly basis.
    Council assignments:
    • Council Member Pat Burt (Chair)
    • Vice Mayor Stone
    • Council Member Veenker

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.

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