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San Diego council adopts 'organized presentation' rules to comply with SB 707
Summary
The City Council adopted a framework to implement SB 707 that creates an "organized presentation" option allowing groups of two or more to present as a block, expands language access and launches a new online sign-up and translation workflow starting July 1.
San Diego City Council on June 29 adopted a new organized-presentation process designed to expand access to public meetings and implement requirements of SB 707.
City Clerk Deanna Fuentes outlined the new approach, summarizing community listening sessions and a citywide survey that informed updates to the clerk's web portal. The changes include WCAG 2.1 accessibility improvements, an auto-translate button for 22 languages, plain-language agendas, and a dedicated legislative glossary on the council agenda portal to help residents understand staff reports and item descriptions.
The organized-presentation process will allow coordinated groups of two or more residents to register a lead presenter and present as a single block during discussion or informational items. Fuentes described a three-step digital workflow: (1) review the agenda and identify item numbers, (2) submit the online presentation sign-up at sandiego.gov/presentation at least 24 hours before the meeting, and (3) upload presentation materials no later than two hours before the meeting. The clerk's office said groups will be capped at a combined 15 minutes with group time calculated by multiplying confirmed attendees by the per-person time allotted for the item.
Fuentes said the system requires verified attendance (all rostered participants must be present physically or virtually when the item is called) and that mixed attendance currently reduces group time; staff said they will pursue technological improvements to allow mixed-format attendance in the future. The clerk emphasized the city will provide language assistance across its eight primary alternative languages and broader auto-translation to reduce barriers to participation.
Council President Joe Lacava framed the change as a practical reimagining of “seating time,” not its elimination, and said the rollout will begin July 1 with the first council hearing using the new rules on July 6. Lacava moved the staff recommendation; Councilmember Vivian Moreno seconded the motion and the council approved the action unanimously.
Why it matters: The changes seek to balance SB 707’s timeline and language-access requirements with the city's technological capacity, expanding virtual access while retaining structured public engagement. City staff said they will monitor performance and return with improvements as needed.
The council directed the clerk’s office to continue implementing outreach and training on the new process and to report back with experience-based adjustments after initial use.
