PREPARED BY: MATT RODRIGUEZ DATE OF MEETING: 04/15/2024
SUBJECT:
TITLE
CONSIDER EXTENDING THE TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF REMOTE PUBLIC COMMENT BY ZOOM AND TELEPHONE FOR CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS THROUGH OCTOBER 30, 2024
CEQA: This proposed action is not a project as defined by CEQA
Label
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve by Minute Order
Body
Compliance statements
This item is not an item in the City Council Priority Workplan but is necessary to conduct orderly public meetings.
BACKGROUND
Public agencies across California, including neighboring cities in the East Bay region, continue to experience a barrage of hate speech through remote public comments during public meetings known as “Zoom Bombing.” The volume of these comments is disruptive and prevents cities and other public agencies from conducting orderly public meetings.
On October 12, 2023, the City Manager temporarily suspended all remote public comments by telephone and Zoom for the City Council and Planning Commission meetings scheduled during the remainder of October 2023. This action was subsequently affirmed by the San Pablo City Council by minute action vote on October 16, 2023, and the Council continued such suspension through the end of April 2024.
To continue to better serve our San Pablo community and ensure that the City conducts orderly public meetings, staff recommends extending the temporary suspension of participation by members of the public remotely through an online platform (i.e. Zoom) or via telephone through October 30, 2024, for all City Council and Planning Commission meetings. Members of the public would continue to be encouraged to provide public comment at City Council and Planning Commission meetings either in-person in Council Chambers or by email to cityclerk@sanpabloca.gov <mailto:cityclerk@sanpabloca.gov>. Additionally, members of the public will continue to have the ability to view City Council and Planning Commission meetings livestream online.
This proposed action is consistent with the public comment processes many other public agencies throughout the Bay Area are implementing. Additionally, the proposed action promotes the policy objectives contained in the City’s Diversity Policy adopted by the City Council on June 15, 2020 via Resolution No. 2020-078 (Attached).
Should the City Council extend the temporary suspension of remote public comment by Zoom and telephone as recommended, members of the City Council and Planning Commission will not be able to participate remotely in those meetings based on the new just cause or emergency circumstances provisions AB 2449 recently added to the Brown Act.
Members of the City Council and Planning Commission, however, would be able to participate remotely under the Brown Act’s traditional teleconference provisions which require posting of the remote location on the agenda and in-person public access at the remote location, provided all other statutory requirements are met. Additionally, City Council members and Planning Commission members may continue to participate remotely pursuant to an approved ADA accommodation.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact related to this item.
ATTACHMENT:
Att A - 2020-078 Diversity Policy
Att B - City Manager’s Memorandum dated April 2, 2024