RESOLUTION NO. 33-22
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PLEASANT HILL
ALLOWING FOR IN-PERSON, HYBRID TELECONFERENCED, OR FULLY
TELECONFERENCED MEETINGS OF ALL LEGISLATIVE BODIES PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF AB 361, AND RESCINDING AND REPLACING RESOLUTION 19-22
WHEREAS, the Ralph M. Brown Act (Gov. Code § 54950 et seq.) generally requires local agencies that meet via teleconference, including through other virtual or electronic means such as Zoom, to provide public access at each location in which members of the legislative body are teleconferencing; and WHEREAS, the Legislature enacted Assembly Bill 361 (AB 361), which amended Government Code section 54953 to allow local agencies to meet virtually during a proclaimed state of emergency if state or local officials have imposed or recommended measures to promote social distancing; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the Governor issued a proclamation declaring a state of emergency on March 4, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pursuant to section 8625 of the California Emergency Services Act; and WHEREAS, the City Council has reconsidered the circumstances of the state of emergency and finds that state or local officials continue to recommend measures to promote social distancing; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires that the City of Pleasant Hill, including all its commissions, committees, and other Brown Act bodies, shall have the option of holding public meetings in-person with social distancing, via hybrid teleconferencing, or via fully teleconferencing, pursuant to AB 361 and Government Code section 54953(e).
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Pleasant Hill;
Section 1. The recitals set forth above are true and correct and are incorporated into this Resolution by this reference.
Section 2. This Resolution rescinds and replaces Resolution 19-22.
Section 3. The City Council and all other City commissions, committees, or other Brown Act Bodies shall be authorized to meet in person with social distancing, via hybrid teleconferencing or via fully teleconferencing the meeting. A hybrid approach is one in which some persons are permitted to attend in-person, as space permits, and others are permitted to attend virtually. The legislative body shall indicate which type of meeting it is holding by noting at the top of each agenda whether an in-person location is being made available and if it is, approximately how many members of the public may be accommodated.
Section 4. The City Council shall take action to renew this Resolution every thirty days for as long as any state or local officials continue to recommend measures to promote social distancing, but the City Council may terminate the Resolution at any time.
In the event that more than thirty days pass in between regular City Council meetings for any reason, the City Council shall take action to renew this Resolution prior to taking any action or engaging in any deliberation or discussion at the beginning of the next regular meeting or a special meeting called for such purposes.
Section 5. The City Council hereby finds and determines that this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3), because it will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment and is not a “project” pursuant to Section 15378(b)(5) of the CEQA Guidelines.
Section 6. If any provision of this Resolution or the application of any such provision to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this Resolution that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this Resolution are severable.
The City Council declares that it would have adopted this Resolution regardless of the invalidity of any particular portion of this Resolution.
Section 7. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its passage.
ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Pleasant Hill at a regular meeting of the City Council held on the 2nd day of May, 2022, by the following vote:
AYES: Carlson, Flaherty, Noack, Rinn, Harris
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
MICHAEL G. HARRIS, OD, Mayor
ATTEST:
DANIELLE K. HABR, City Clerk