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Council adopts policy limiting councilmembers27 use of electronic devices during meetings
Summary
To reduce Brown Act and public-records concerns, the council adopted a resolution restricting councilmembers27 use of electronic devices during meetings to official tasks (agenda review and note-taking) and prohibiting intra-council communications about city business; staff will correct a clerical date in the final resolution.
The city attorney presented a resolution drafted in response to council direction that would limit councilmembers27 use of electronic devices during meetings to official activities such as reading the agenda or taking notes and would prohibit communicating with other councilmembers about city business during meetings. The city attorney said the policy aims to avoid Brown Act violations and minimize PRA (public-records act) complications from device communications.
Councilmembers discussed a minor wording edit to change an internal date reference from March to April and debated whether prior concerns prompted the policy. One speaker urged that any suspected in-meeting communications that violate the policy should be reported. After the edit was noted, Mayor Pro Tem Samra moved to adopt the resolution; Council member Roth seconded and the council voted unanimously to adopt the policy.
The adopted resolution allows device use for specified official functions and instructs staff to update the text to reflect the corrected meeting-date language. Council recorded the approval by roll call; enforcement procedures or investigation processes were not adopted at this meeting.
