10c
26-90142
CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Updates to Public Agenda Process and Amendment to City Council Meeting Procedures Related to Remote Public Participation as Mandated by S.B. 707
1. Motion to Note and File
2. Resolution Amending and Restating the Rules of Order, Procedure and Decorum For the Conduct of City Council Meetings to Incorporate Remote Public Access Disruption Policy
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for June 9, 2026 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Senate Bill 707 (SB 707), effective July 1, 2026, expands public access and participation requirements for certain local legislative bodies, including the Glendale City Council. The law mandates that City Council meetings provide continuous two-way remote participation through audiovisual or telephonic platforms whenever technically feasible, allowing remote attendees the same opportunity to provide public comment as in-person participants. To comply, Glendale plans to utilize Zoom Webinar for Council meetings and adopt a Remote Public Access Disruption Policy that establishes procedures for handling internet or telephonic outages. Under the proposed policy, meetings will recess while staff attempts to restore service, with specific requirements governing whether a meeting may continue if remote access cannot be restored.
SB 707 also introduces new language access and transparency requirements. Beginning July 1, 2026, City Council agendas must be translated into any language meeting statutory thresholds based on census data; for Glendale, Armenian is currently the only language that qualifies. The City must also provide translated instructions for remote participation, maintain multilingual online meeting resources, and publicize available translation and interpretation assistance.
In addition, SB 707 requires cities to strengthen public engagement efforts, particularly among non-English-speaking and historically underrepresented communities. Glendale will continue to maintain accessible online meeting resources, electronic systems for agenda requests, and a dedicated public meetings webpage. The City’s Communications team will implement a comprehensive outreach strategy using websites, social media, 10c2
26-90142
6 8
5 9
newsletters, GTV6, media partnerships, and community organizations to increase awareness of public meetings and participation opportunities. Outreach will specifically target local and regional media outlets, ethnic media, neighborhood associations, faith- based groups, cultural organizations, and organizations serving immigrant, youth, senior, and non-English-speaking populations, helping ensure broader and more inclusive civic engagement.
10c2
26-90142
6 8
5 9
10c3
26-90142
6 8
5 9
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council note and file this report and adopt the Amended and Restated Rules of Order, Procedure and Decorum for the Conduct of City Council Meetings to incorporate a Remote Public Access Disruption Policy as mandated by SB 707.
ANALYSIS
Senate Bill 707 amends the Ralph M. Brown Act to establish new requirements for specified local legislative bodies (“eligible legislative bodies”), which includes the governing bodies of cities with a population of 30,000 or more in counties with a population of 600,000 or more, such as the Glendale City Council. The operative provisions of SB 707 become effective on July 1, 2026, and are intended to expand public access to local agency meetings, modernize remote participation requirements, and encourage greater public engagement.
Public Remote Participation/Remote Disruption Policy
Effective July 1, 2026, SB 707 requires eligible legislative bodies to provide two-way remote public access to meetings unless adequate telephonic or internet service is not operational at the meeting location. This access may be provided through either a two- way audiovisual platform or a two-way telephonic service. Members of the public must be able to attend and participate in the meeting via two-way audio-visual platform or two-way telephonic service. Members of the public must also be provided the opportunity to offer public comment remotely with the same time allotment as individuals attending in person.
This service will be required for all meetings involving the City Council, including regular meetings, special meetings (including City Hall in Your Neighborhood meetings), and joint meetings. Two-way audiovisual or telephonic public access is not required for the City’s boards and commissions.
The City currently allows members of the public to call in remotely for City Council meetings to provide public comment. SB 707 expands this framework by requiring continuous two-way remote access during City Council meetings when technically feasible. To implement this requirement, staff intend to utilize Zoom Webinar for remote public participation at City Council meetings.
SB 707 also requires the City Council to adopt a policy addressing disruptions to telephonic or internet service that prevent members of the public from participating remotely. The policy must be adopted at a noticed public meeting in open session and may not be adopted on the consent calendar.
The proposed City Council Remote Public Access Disruption Policy, proposed as a revision to the Council’s meeting rules and procedures (Exhibit 1), establishes procedures for responding to a disruption in the City’s remote public access services during City 10c4
26-90142
6 8
5 9
Council meetings. In summary, the policy provides that if a disruption prevents members of the public from participating remotely, the Mayor or City Clerk will announce the disruption, the City Council will recess the open session, and staff will make good faith efforts to restore remote access. The recess must last at least one hour or until service is restored, whichever occurs first.
If service is restored before or at the time the meeting reconvenes, the meeting may continue as normal. If service is not restored after one hour, the City Council may either adjourn the meeting or continue the meeting by roll call vote after finding that good faith efforts were made to restore service and that the public interest in continuing the meeting outweighs the public interest in remote public access.
The policy also provides for documentation of the disruption, restoration efforts, the time the meeting reconvened, and any findings adopted by the City Council.
Agenda Translation Requirements
Beginning July 1, 2026, Council agendas (but not the agenda packets) must be translated into “applicable languages” - languages, according to data from the most recent the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey (ACS), spoken by 20 percent or more of the applicable population, provided that 20 percent or more of the population that speaks that language at home speaks English less than “very well.” Under ACS data applicable to Glendale, Armenian is an applicable language under SB 707 standards. Thus, effective July 1, 2026, agendas will be translated into Armenian. No other languages satisfy the SB 707 20% threshold.
As required by SB 707, the City will also comply with the following:
The agenda web portal will include instructions in English and Armenian describing how to join the meeting by Zoom, including any requirements for registration for public comment;
The City Council’s accessible internet webpage will be translated into Armenian (in fact, the City’s agenda web portal contains a drop-down menu with multiple languages that satisfies this requirement); and
The City will make available a physical location that is freely accessible to the public in reasonable proximity to the physical location in which the agenda and translations are posted as described above and shall allow members of the public to post additional translations of the agenda in that location (the City will institute a policy requiring anyone wishing to submit and post translated agendas to submit them to the Clerk for posting).
10c5
26-90142
6 8
5 9
Translation and Interpretation
SB 707 also requires cities to reasonably assist members of the public seeking to provide or receive translation or interpretation. Cities must publicize how to request assistance but are not required to provide interpretation services directly. Since the City provides Armenian and Spanish translators at regular Council meetings, it will publicize their availability on the agenda web portal as well as the ability of members of the public to arrange for their own translators. If the Council desires, the City could also identify other translation resources on its agenda portal. The City will not be legally responsible for the content or accuracy of any interpretation facilitated, assisted or provided.
Staff is also evaluating AI-enabled translation and interpretation tools that may be used to augment the City’s existing live translation services and improve language access for public meetings. Any use of these tools would be reviewed for accuracy, reliability, accessibility, and compliance with applicable legal requirements prior to implementation.
Reasonable Efforts to Encourage Public Participation
Effective July 1, 2026, SB 707 will require eligible legislative bodies to maintain accessible online resources related to public meetings and make reasonable efforts to encourage participation from underrepresented and non-English-speaking communities.
First, the City must have in place a system for electronically accepting and fulfilling requests for meeting agendas and documents through email or through an integrated agenda management platform, and; must provide information about how to make a request using this system shall be accessible through a prominent direct link posted on the primary internet website home page of the eligible legislative body (the City’s current integrated agenda platform satisfies these requirements).
Second, in compliance with SB 707, the City maintains an accessible internet webpage dedicated to public meetings that includes (or will be updated to include) all of the following information:
A general explanation of the public meeting process for the Council An explanation of the procedures for a member of the public to provide in-person or remote oral public comment during a Council meeting or to submit written public comment
A calendar of all public meeting dates of the legislative body with calendar listings that include the date, time, and location of each public meeting The agenda posted online, and
A link to the webpage on the home page of the eligible legislative body's internet website
10c6
26-90142
6 8
5 9
Third, the City Council must make reasonable efforts, as determined by the Council, to invite groups that do not traditionally participate in public meetings to attend those meetings, which may include, but are not limited to, all the following:
Media organizations that provide news coverage in the jurisdiction of the eligible legislative body, including media organizations that serve non-English-speaking communities
Good government, civil rights, civic engagement, neighborhood, and community group organizations, or similar organizations that are active in Glendale, including organizations active in non-English-speaking communities The City has broad discretion in the choice of reasonable efforts it makes and there will be no civil liability against the City arising from failing to provide public meeting information to any specific group.
The City’s Communications team will implement these efforts. The City’s 2026 Communication Guide identifies opportunities to incorporate SB 707-related meeting access information across a variety of communication channels. These channels include the City website, agenda webpages, social media platforms, newsletters, GTV6, media advisories, and community outreach lists. Staff has also identified media and community-based organizations that may assist in sharing public meeting information with non-English-speaking residents and underrepresented communities.
The City’s Communication Guide provides best practices for outreach efforts. It emphasizes the importance of clear public messaging, proactive outreach, use of multiple channels, coordination with community partners, and ensuring appropriate language access for residents who may not traditionally participate in City meetings.
The guide aims to support consistent, transparent, accessible, and multilingual public information.
The intended recipients of these communications include broader segments of the community, with a focus on non-English-speaking residents and underrepresented populations. Outreach will be extended through local and regional media outlets, ethnic media, community organizations, cultural and faith-based groups, neighborhood and civic organizations, as well as organizations serving seniors, youth, and those active in Glendale’s non-English-speaking communities.
10c7
26-90142
6 8
5 9
Outreach to Media Organizations
The City Manager’s Office and Communications & Community Relations Division will incorporate SB 707-related public meeting information into the City’s existing media relations process.
This will include maintaining and periodically updating media outreach lists that include:
1. Local media organizations covering Glendale;
2. Regional media organizations covering Los Angeles County;
3. Armenian-language media;
4. Spanish-language media;
5. Korean-language media;
6. Tagalog-language media; and
7. Other media organizations serving communities represented in Glendale.
Outreach to Community Organizations
The City Manager’s Office, Communications & Community Relations Division, and relevant Departments will also coordinate outreach to community-based organizations active in Glendale. These organizations may include:
1. Neighborhood associations;
2. Civic organizations;
3. Faith-based organizations;
4. Cultural organizations;
5. Senior-serving organizations;
6. Youth-serving organizations;
7. Business organizations;
8. Community service organizations; and
9. Organizations serving immigrant, non-English-speaking, and underrepresented communities/
Outreach activities may include meeting participation guides, translated informational materials, website content, social media posts, newsletters, GTV6 announcements, and direct email distribution to community partners.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
See discussion above regarding outreach to media organizations and community organizations.
10c8
26-90142
6 8
5 9
FISCAL IMPACT
The City intends to utilize Zoom Webinar to provide two-way remote public access for City Council meetings. The annual cost of the Zoom Webinar licenses is approximately $15,000 and will be absorbed within existing appropriations for the IT Department. Any additional costs related to implementation are also expected to be absorbed within existing appropriations at this time.
Existing Appropriation
Amount Account String Funding Source
$15,000 GL: 43110-6040-ISD-5502-P0000- ITD Applications Fund Department Cost Center Program
Information
Technology
Application Support
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
This activity involves organizational and administrative activities of the government related to requirements for city council meetings, and such internal procedural changes have no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. As such, this action is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378.
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
1. The Council is required by law to adopt a Public Access Remote Disruption Policy.
The Council may provide additional direction it deems appropriate relative to the other aspects of this Report.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Michael J. Garcia, City Attorney
Prepared by:
Michael J. Garcia, City Attorney
Jason Bradford, Chief Information Officer
Tom Lorenz, Communications Director
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
10c9
26-90142
6 8
5 9
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
1. Redlined Changes to Council Rules of Order, Procedure and Decorum for the Conduct of City Council Meetings to Incorporate a Remote Public Access Disruption Policy as Mandated by SB 707