Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
City clerk outlines SB77 changes to Brown Act; Emeryville council backs central posting and declines remote designation for advisory bodies
Summary
At a May 5, 2026 study session, City Clerk April Fein reviewed SB77 amendments to California's Brown Act, and the Emeryville City Council directed staff to adopt a technology‑disruption policy and a single centralized agenda posting location while declining to opt subsidiary advisory bodies into SB77's 'eligible' remote‑participation designation because of staff safety and cost concerns.
April Fein, Emeryville city clerk, gave the council a high‑level overview of SB77 on May 5, saying SB77 “was a major amendment to the Brown Act” that restructures how local legislative bodies must offer remote participation and public access.
SB77 requires eligible legislative bodies to provide two‑way telephonic or audiovisual remote attendance, automatic captioning, and certain ADA accommodations that can count toward quorum. Fein told the council that the city qualifies as an eligible body under the bill’s population thresholds for Alameda County and that the council will be required to adopt a technology‑disruption policy that describes recess/reconvene procedures should internet or phone service fail.
Why it mattered: SB77 changes routine operating rules for meetings by formalizing remote‑access requirements, adding new categories of legislative…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
