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Council adopts SB 707 meeting-disruption policy; staff to implement two-way remote participation
Summary
In response to SB 707 changes to the Brown Act, the council adopted a policy that requires two-way telephonic/audiovisual public participation for covered meetings and a procedure to pause and assess meetings if livestream or remote access is disrupted. Council asked staff to clarify costs and logistics for off-site and workshop meetings.
The City Council adopted a meeting-disruption policy that implements new Brown Act requirements in Senate Bill 707, directing the city to provide two-way telephonic or audiovisual public participation for open meetings by July 1, 2026, and to pause meetings for at least one hour after a disruption to remote access while staff attempts restoration.
City Attorney Monica Castillo described the statutory requirements and the policy’s core elements: pause and attempt restoration for a minimum one-hour window; council may meet in closed session during the pause but may not reconvene the public meeting until access is restored and the council finds in the minutes that a good-faith restoration effort occurred and the public interest favors continuing the meeting.
Councilmembers raised practical questions about equipment, translation services, cost, and how the rule will apply to off-site workshops and ceremonial events. James Lantyne, the city AV specialist, said the city already uses Zoom seminar-style streaming and can add a two-way interaction setup; staff said they will return with budget estimates and operational plans.
Council adopted the policy and directed staff to implement it, including assessing costs and procedures for ensuring secure, reliable two-way participation and contingency plans for misuse or cyber disruption.
