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Costa Mesa adopts SB 707‑required teleconferencing and disruption policy
Summary
The council received an update on SB 707 and adopted a council policy addressing teleconferencing, interruption procedures, and language access (Spanish), including a mandatory minimum recess procedure for broadcast disruptions; motion carried 6–0.
City staff presented an informational update on Senate Bill 707 (SB 707) and the council adopted a technology disruption policy to meet the bill’s requirements. The policy formalizes procedures for hybrid meetings, addresses restoration steps when broadcasts are disrupted, and specifies language‑access and accessibility standards.
City staff noted several SB 707 requirements: continued hybrid meeting capability via a two‑way telephonic or audiovisual platform (the city uses Zoom), closed captioning in multiple languages, translation of agendas into applicable languages (Costa Mesa meets the 20% threshold for Spanish), and a mandatory recess and restoration procedure of up to one hour for disruptions to public access. The policy also clarifies authority to remove or limit participants for disruptive conduct, consistent with the Brown Act as amended.
During public comment, a Zoom participant suggested the city consider simultaneous translation for Spanish speakers to ensure fairness for speakers with time limits. Staff said the city has procured upgraded Costa Mesa TV equipment with software to support captioning and translated web content.
The council voted to receive and file the update and to adopt the proposed policy; the motion carried 6–0.
