REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on City Bills and Claims Report for the period March 7, 2026 - April 3, 2026
Report
BACKGROUND
Disbursements made by the City of Santa Clara (City) are based on invoices submitted for payment. Prior to payment, staff reviews all disbursement documents to ensure they are reflective of the goods or services provided. Invoices are usually paid within 30 days of receipt of an accurate invoice. As a final step, the City Auditor, or designee, verifies all documents before the City issues payment. Payments are issued through accounts payable checks and wire transfers. It is important to note that items that pertain to Stadium Authority operations are billed to the Stadium Manager (ManCo) to pay on behalf of the Stadium Authority for Non-NFL events, and on behalf of the 49ers for NFL events.
The Bills and Claims Report, as required by the City Charter, represents the cash disbursements required for operations of the City for the reporting period covered. The report reflects the payment date, invoice number, description of the payment, funding source, and payment amount for all invoices. The budget control is set by the City Council through the budget adoption process. The attached report is sorted by Silicon Valley Power (SVP) expenses first, followed by the rest of the City funds.
DISCUSSION
Significant expenditures in this period include:
• Payment to Northern California Power Agency in the amount of $21,310,295 for March 2026 all resources bill.
• Payment to Castanea Project, LLC., in the amount of $6,383,916 for January and February 2026 solar power purchase with battery energy storage system.
• Payment to EDF Trading North America, LLC in the amount of $2,943,399 for February 2026 physical natural gas balancing services for SVP generation facilities.
• Payment to MSR Public Power Agency/Energy Authority in the amount of $2,432,098 for February and March 2026 power purchase and March 2026 administrative cost.
• Payment to Santa Clara Valley Water in the amount of $2,064,199 for January 2026 Pump Tax (a groundwater charge that is used to pay for the protection and augmentation of water supplies in the basin).
• Payment to Tri-Dam Authority/Project in the amount of $1,814,354 for February 2026 Hydroelectric purchase.
Payments to ManCo are not included in the City’s Bills and Claims report as they are currently reported through a separate Stadium Authority Bills and Claims report. Stadium Authority related payments in the City’s Bills and Claims report include general administrative, material, and supply expenses of approximately $721,289. Included in this amount are payments totaling $393,277 to Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, City of Menlo Park, City of Stockton, City of Modesto, City of Vacaville, Santa Clara County Sheriff, Monterey County, and City and County of San Francisco for protection services for events at the stadium. Also, $99,145 to Axon Enterprise, Inc., for purchase of body worn cameras and multi bay dock bundle and $117,463 to Mile High Shooting Accessories LLC., for six sniper rifles and accessories. These expenses are reimbursed to the City by the Stadium Authority.
During this period, payments were made on behalf of the City and the Santa Clara Stadium Authority (described above).
Certain information such as names of law firms, legal expert consultants, and recipients of workers’ compensation have been redacted from the Bills and Claims report. The Supreme Court of California in Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors v. Superior Court, (2016) 2 Cal.5th 282, held that invoices specifying the amounts billed by a law firm to a client fall within the scope of attorney-client privilege while the matters are active. In addition, the California Court of Appeal has established that the attorney work product privilege applies to services provided by non-testifying expert consultants retained by an attorney. See County of Los Angeles v. Superior Court (1990) 222 Cal.App.3d 647, 655. Therefore, in accordance with case law, the names of law firms and expert consultants retained by the City, and the specific amounts billed by each, have been redacted from the public report to maintain the confidentiality of billing records for legal and expert consulting services. Furthermore, individually identifiable information about recipients of workers’ compensation has also been redacted from the report based on California Labor Code section 138.7.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to section 15378(b)(4) of Title 14 of the Code of Regulations in that it is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant impact on the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
The expenditures of $75,463,424 were appropriated to various funds with the adoption of the Fiscal Year 2025/26 budget, as amended.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve the list of Bills and Claims for March 7, 2026 - April 3, 2026.
Staff
Reviewed by: David Noce, Audit Manager
Approved by: Jovan D. Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Bills and Claims Approved for Payment Report