Citrus Heights adopts SB77 disruption policy to protect remote public participation; council discusses Zoom‑bombing and emailed comments

The City Council adopted a resolution on April 8 that establishes procedures required by SB77 (effective July 1, 2026) for public meetings disrupted by internet or telephonic service outages.

Under the policy described to council, if the city's remote‑access service (for example, the Zoom link or other city broadcast) experiences an outage during a meeting the council must take an immediate recess. That recess must last at least one hour or until remote service is restored, whichever comes first. If service is not restored after that interval, the council may either adjourn and reconvene at a later date to finish business or continue the meeting without remote participation after recording findings that good‑faith efforts to restore service were made and that public interest in continuing outweighs the public interest in remote access.

At the meeting council members raised related concerns: how to distinguish individual remote‑speaker connectivity problems from a city service outage; how the policy addresses malicious disruptions ("Zoom‑bombing"); and whether emailed public comments should be read into the record or simply attached to the agenda. Staff clarified the city would treat malicious remote disruptions the same as in‑person disruptions and that the city can revisit the practice of reading emailed comments into the record.

The council voted to adopt the disruption policy to comply with SB77 and to direct staff to prepare any necessary public outreach and technical steps ahead of the July 1 effective date.

What happens next: staff will finalize administrative procedures, inform the public about new remote‑participation standards and return with operational details if needed before the July 1 deadline.

Sources: Staff presentation to Citrus Heights City Council, April 8, 2026; council discussion.