CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
Meeting: February 21, 2023
To: Cupertino City Council
From: Pamela Wu, City Manager
Re: Information regarding hybrid options for commission meetings.
Background
As part of the FY 2022-2023 City Work Program, adopted May 17, 2022, Council directed staff to research if hybrid meetings should be continued for City Council, Commission meetings, and community workshops. Subsequently to the FY22-23 City Work Program adoption, the City Council, commissioners, and other members of City legislative bodies that are subject to the Brown Act were informed that authorization for remote meetings under AB 361 expired on February 28, 2023. With the Governor’s State of Emergency declaration expired, members of legislative bodies are required to attend meetings in person or comply with the narrow exceptions authorized under state law. This information and the list of exceptions can be found in Attachment A (Memo Re Brown Act Teleconference Amendments).
To comply with the changes to state law and the Brown Act, all City Council and commission meetings subject to the Brown Act returned to in-person meetings. As requirements changed, the City continued to provide hybrid options for certain commissions until July 2023. Due to low attendance on zoom and the high cost of staff time to facilitate a hybrid option, the use of televised, hybrid meetings was discontinued, including zoom meeting recordings for all commissions, except for the Planning Commission. Thus, the City Work Program item aiming to continue allowing zoom meeting for City’s decision-making bodies concluded and has since then been removed from the current City Work Program.
Sustainability Impact
No sustainability impact.
Fiscal Impact
No fiscal impact.
California Environmental Quality Act
Not applicable.
_____________________________________
Prepared by: Astrid Robles, Senior Management Analyst
Reviewed by: Tina Kapoor, Deputy City Manager
Matt Morley, Assistant City Manager
Chris Jensen, City Attorney
Approved for Submission by: Pamela Wu, City Manager
Attachments:
A - Memo Re Brown Act Teleconference Amendments