RESOLUTION NO. 26-4951
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING A VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION CITY COUNCIL POLICY PURSUANT TO SENATE BILL NO. 707 WHEREAS, the Ralph M. Brown Act (“Brown Act”), California’s open meeting law, governs the conduct of public meetings by governmental bodies; and WHEREAS, on October 3, 2025, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill No. 707 (“SB 707”) to revise the Brown Act’s open meeting laws by allowing greater flexibility in teleconferencing and accessibility requirements, including hybrid meetings, remote public participation, to promote public meeting participation and transparency; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Murrieta (“City”) conducts its meetings in accordance with the Brown Act, codified at California Government Code section 54950 et seq.; and WHEREAS, the City is an eligible legislative body under SB 707, and as such, the City Council is required to adopt policies regarding hybrid meetings, teleconferencing, and public access in order to comply with SB 707; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to ensure that meetings of the City Council and other legislative bodies of the City remain accessible to the public through both in-person and remote participation opportunities when available; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that adopting formal procedures for hybrid meeting participation promotes transparency, accessibility, orderly meeting administration, and compliance with applicable law; and WHEREAS, the City Council now desires to implement SB 707, including, without limitation, the adoption of a hybrid meeting and public access policy, and further, modifications in order to implement SB 707’s new public participation and teleconferencing rules and requirements; and WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed the proposed SB 707 Virtual Participation City Council Policy attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by this reference.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS Section 1. Recitals.
The City Council hereby finds the recitals above true and correct and incorporates them herein by this reference.
Section 2. Adoption of Policy.
Pursuant to Government Code sections 54953.4, 54953.8, 54953.8.3, 54953.8.6, and related provisions, the City Council hereby adopts the SB 707 Virtual Participation Policy (“Policy”) attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit A.
Section 3. Implementation.
The City Manager and City Clerk are authorized to implement administrative procedures necessary to carry out the provisions of this Policy.
Section 4. Administrative Authority.
The City Clerk, in coordination with the City Manager and City Attorney, may make minor administrative adjustments to procedures, forms, and technology settings necessary to implement this Policy, provided such adjustments remain consistent with state law.
Section 5. Severability.
If any subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this Resolution, Policy, or any application of them to any person, structure, gathering, or circumstance is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of a court of competent jurisdiction, then such decision will not affect the validity of the remaining portions or applications of this Resolution and Policy.
Section 6. Effective Date.
This Resolution and the SB 707 Virtual Participation City Council Policy attached as Exhibit A shall become effective July 1, 2026. ____________________________
Jon Levell, Mayor
ATTEST:
_____________________________
Cristal McDonald, CMC, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_____________________________
Tiffany Israel, City Attorney
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE )§
CITY OF MURRIETA )
I, Cristal McDonald, City Clerk of the City of Murrieta, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 26-4651 was duly passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Murrieta at the regular meeting thereof, held on the 16th day of June, 2026, and was signed by the Mayor of the said City, and that the same was passed and adopted by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
_____________________________
Cristal McDonald, CMC, City Clerk
POLICY STATEMENT
The City of Murrieta (“City”) is committed to ensuring that meetings of the City Council are conducted in an open, transparent, and accessible manner that promotes meaningful public participation.
Consistent with the Ralph M. Brown Act (“Brown Act”) and the requirements of Senate Bill 707 (“SB 707”), the City shall provide opportunities for members of the public to observe and participate in public meetings both in-person and remotely when hybrid meeting options are made available. The City shall ensure that members of the public attending meetings remotely have the same opportunity to provide real-time public comment as those attending in-person.
This Policy establishes procedures for remote participation, public comment, meeting access, and the orderly conduct of meetings conducted in hybrid formats. The intent of this Policy is to promote fairness, accessibility, and compliance with applicable state law while maintaining efficient and orderly City Council meetings.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this Policy is to:
Implement the requirements of the Brown Act and SB 707 regarding hybrid public meetings and remote public participation.
Establish consistent procedures for in-person and remote participation at meetings of the City Council.
Ensure that members of the public attending remotely are provided a real-time opportunity to observe meetings and provide public comment with the same time allotment provided to in-person speakers.
Establish procedures to address meeting disruptions, technical issues, and accessibility considerations associated with internet-based and telephonic participation.
AUTHORITY
This Policy is adopted pursuant to the Brown Act, codified at California Government Code section 54950 et seq., as amended.
Nothing in this Policy is intended to limit the rights of the public under the Brown Act.
DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Policy, the following definitions apply:
Brown Act
The Ralph M. Brown Act, California Government Code section 54950 et seq., which governs meetings of local legislative bodies and ensures the public’s right to attend and participate in those meetings.
Hybrid Meeting
A meeting conducted with both a physical meeting location open to the public and a remote participation option that allows members of the public to observe and provide comment through internet-based or telephonic platforms.
Mayor / Chair
The presiding officer of the City Council responsible for conducting the meeting, maintaining order, and recognizing speakers.
Public Comment
An opportunity provided during a meeting for members of the public to address the City Council regarding items on the agenda and matters within the jurisdiction of the City Council that are not on the agenda.
Remote Participation
Attendance or participation in a public meeting using an internet-based platform, telephonic service, or other electronic means that allows the participant to observe the meeting and provide real-time public comment.
Telephonic Participation
Participation in a meeting through a telephone connection that allows members of the public to listen to the meeting and provide public comment when recognized. For purposes of this Policy, telephonic participation shall be provided through the City’s internet-based meeting platform and associated dial-in telephone functionality.
Internet-Based Platform
A web-based meeting service used by the City to conduct remote participation during public meetings. This platform allows members of the public to observe meetings and provide real-time public comment.
Zoom and/or Microsoft Teams
Zoom and Microsoft Teams are the internet-based platforms the City currently uses to enable remote participation in public meetings. The platforms provide both video and audio access via computers, tablets, smartphones, and telephone dial-in. These platforms also allow members of the public to observe meetings and provide real-time public comment. The City may use Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or a comparable platform that provides similar functionality for remote observation and real-time public comment.
City Clerk
The City Clerk or their designee responsible for administering meeting procedures, maintaining speaker lists, facilitating remote participation, and ensuring compliance with the Brown Act and this Policy.
Disruption
Conduct that actually interrupts, delays, or prevents the orderly conduct of a meeting, including but not limited to persistent interruption of speakers, refusal to comply with time limits, or technological misuse of remote meeting features.
MEETING PLATFORM AND TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION
Meeting Platform Administration
The City Clerk shall be responsible for administering the meeting platform used for remote participation during City Council meetings. Responsibilities include:
Managing participant access to the meeting
Operating audio and video controls within the meeting platform Managing speaker queues and the raise-hand function
Muting or unmuting participants
Assisting the Mayor or Chair in identifying speakers
Addressing technical issues related to the meeting platform The meeting platform may include administrative features that allow staff to maintain orderly meeting conduct, such as muting microphones, managing speaker queues, disabling participant video, removing disruptive participants, or limiting chat and screen-sharing functions.
Remote participants shall be recognized by the City Clerk or designee when it is their turn to speak.
While City staff or their designee will provide technical assistance if there is a disruption to the meeting platform and/or telephonic service, the City cannot guarantee the reliability or quality of any individual, remote participant’s internet connections, devices, or telephone service.
The City reserves the right to modify platform settings or administrative controls as necessary to maintain compliance with applicable law and ensure the orderly conduct of public meetings.
SCOPE
This Policy applies to regular, special, and adjourned meetings of the City Council, Community Services District, Fire District, Library Board, Redevelopment Successor Agency, Housing Authority, and Financing Authority.
This Policy governs public observation of meetings, public comment procedures, and the administration of remote participation through internet-based or telephonic platforms.
MEETING ACCESS
Members of the public may attend meetings:
In-person at the noticed meeting location
Remotely through the internet-based platform identified on the meeting agenda By telephone using the dial-in information provided on the agenda The meeting agenda shall provide instructions for accessing the meeting remotely, including the internet link and telephone participation information.
PUBLIC COMMENT PROCEDURES
Members of the public may address the City Council during:
Public Comments, for items not listed on the agenda but within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council; and Consideration of individual agenda items, when the Mayor or Chair opens the item for public comment.
In-Person Public Comment
Members of the public attending the meeting in person who wish to speak shall complete a Public Speaker card and submit it to the City Clerk prior to the beginning of the Public Comments portion of the meeting or prior to the City Council’s consideration of the agenda item they wish to address.
Public Speaker cards assist the City Clerk in identifying speakers and organizing the speaker queue. Individuals who have not submitted a speaker card may still be permitted to speak at the discretion of the Mayor or Chair, provided doing so does not disrupt the orderly conduct of the meeting.
Remote Public Comment
Members of the public wishing to provide public comment remotely must follow the City’s teleconference instructions, available on the City’s website.
Instructions will require the participant to provide their name and identify the specific agenda item or Public Comments section for which they wish to speak. Instructions may include, but are not limited to, a virtual Public Speaker card.
Participants are encouraged to enter the virtual meeting as early as possible (e.g., prior to the meeting), well in advance of the section of the agenda item they wish to address, so that staff can prepare the speaker’s queue.
Identification of Agenda Items
Participants wishing to speak on agendized items must identify the specific agenda item number, whether in person or virtually.
Participants wishing to speak on non-agendized matters must indicate that their comments will be made during the Public Comments (Non-Agenda) portion of the meeting.
Comments provided during Public Comments (Non-Agenda) must address matters within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council but may not address items that are specifically listed on the meeting agenda.
Speaker Recognition
Speakers will be called in the order in which they were received, starting with in-person and then virtual, subject to the discretion of the Mayor or Chair to ensure the orderly conduct of the meeting.
For remote speakers, the Mayor or Chair and City Clerk will call the participant’s name when it is their turn to speak, and the participant will be unmuted through the meeting platform.
Time Limits
Unless otherwise announced by the Mayor or Chair, each speaker shall be allotted up to three (3) minutes to address the City Council.
The Mayor or Chair may reduce the time allotted to each speaker when necessary due to the number of speakers or the length of the agenda. Any adjustment to time limits shall apply equally to both in-person and remote speakers.
RULES OF DECORUM AND DISRUPTIONS
Speakers shall direct comments to the City Council as a whole and shall refrain from behavior that disrupts the meeting.
The Mayor or Chair may rule a speaker out of order if the speaker engages in conduct that actually disrupts, delays, or interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting.
Remote participants who engage in disruptive conduct may be muted or removed from the meeting by the City Clerk at the direction of the Mayor or Chair.
TECHNICAL DISRUPTIONS
If a technological disruption prevents members of the public from observing the meeting or providing real-time public comment through the City’s internet-based meeting platform or telephonic participation system, the Mayor or Chair shall recess the meeting while City staff attempts to restore remote participation service.
Consistent with applicable provisions of the Brown Act, the meeting shall be recessed for up to one (1) hour to allow the City Clerk, the City’s audiovisual staff member, and/or additional staff to restore the remote participation technology.
If remote participation service is restored during the recess period, the meeting may reconvene and continue.
Notification Upon Restoration of Service
Once service has been restored and the meeting is prepared to reconvene, the City shall provide notice to the public through one or more of the following methods:
A verbal announcement upon reconvening the meeting on the same virtual platform; Posting an update or restoration notice on the City’s official website and/or meeting agenda webpage; Posting an update through the City’s official social media channels; and/or Announcing a specific anticipated reconvening time prior to the recess, when feasible.
The City shall make reasonable efforts to ensure members of the public are informed of the resumption of the meeting and provided an opportunity to rejoin remote participation before business resumes.
If the technological disruption cannot be resolved within the recess period, the City Council may continue the affected agenda item or the meeting to a future date and time in accordance with the Brown Act.
A technological disruption that does not prevent members of the public from observing the meeting or providing remote public comment shall not require the meeting to recess. In such circumstances, the City Council may continue the meeting while staff addresses the internal technical issue.
Nothing in this section shall invalidate actions taken by the City Council where the meeting otherwise complies with applicable requirements of the Brown Act.
To the extent permitted by law, a temporary interruption in remote participation technology shall not invalidate actions taken during the meeting, provided the City Council otherwise complied with applicable Brown Act requirements.
ACCESSIBILITY
The City shall make reasonable efforts to ensure accessibility to its meetings consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Individuals requiring special accommodations to participate in a meeting may contact the City Clerk Department at least seventy-two hours (72 hours) prior to the meeting date, so that reasonable arrangements can be made.
When meetings are broadcast on the City’s internet-based platform, the City will make reasonable efforts to provide closed captioning or similar accessibility features on the platform.
IMPLEMENTATION
The City Clerk, in coordination with the City Manager and City Attorney, shall be responsible for implementing this Policy and ensuring compliance with applicable laws governing public meetings.
The City may update administrative procedures, meeting platform settings, and participation instructions as necessary to maintain compliance with state law and to support effective public participation.
This Policy shall become effective July 1, 2026, and administrative procedures necessary to support its implementation may be developed prior to that date.
PUBLIC MEETING INFORMATION AND WEBSITE ACCESS
The City shall maintain a publicly accessible webpage providing information regarding participation in public meetings.
The webpage shall include information explaining:
How to attend meetings in-person
How to observe meetings remotely
How to provide public comment
Instructions for remote participation
Contact information for the City Clerk Department
The City Clerk shall ensure the information remains reasonably current.
ORGANIZED GROUPS AND SPOKESPERSONS
When multiple individuals are present to express the same or substantially similar position on an agenda item or during Public Comments, the Mayor or Chair may request that the group designate one or more spokespersons to present the group’s comments.
Nothing in this section shall prohibit members of the public from speaking individually if they choose to do so; however, the Mayor or Chair may encourage group presentations in order to promote the efficient conduct of the meeting and ensure that all individuals wishing to speak have a reasonable opportunity to do so.
This provision shall be applied in a viewpoint-neutral manner and shall not be used to restrict public participation rights provided under the Brown Act.
WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS
Members of the public may submit written comments to the City Council via the City Clerk regarding items on the agenda or matters within the jurisdiction of the City Council.
Written comments received by the City Clerk prior to the meeting may be distributed to the City Council and included as part of the administrative record of the meeting, subject to applicable submission deadlines established by the City Clerk. Written comments submitted prior to the meeting may be referenced during the meeting, but shall not substitute for the opportunity to provide real-time public comment. Generally, written comments will not be read into the record.
Written comments submitted after the agenda has been posted may be made available to the City Council and the public to the extent practicable in accordance with the Brown Act.
APPROVED:
______________________________ ________________________ Jon Levell, Mayor Date
Adopted: June 16, 2026 – Resolution No. 26-4651
POLICY: SB 707 Virtual Participation and Public Comment Policy Page PAGE \* Arabic \* MERGEFORMAT 2 of NUMPAGES \* Arabic \* MERGEFORMAT 2 City of Murrieta
City Council Policy
POLICY: SB 707 Virtual Participation and Public Comment Policy POLICY NO.: TBD
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2026