CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: June 15, 2026
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS
TITLE: ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. __-26 CONCERNING DISRUPTION OF REMOTE
PARTICIPATION DURING A CITY COUNCIL MEETING
SYNOPSIS
Recent changes to the Ralph M. Brown Act require qualified legislative bodies to offer hybrid meetings through a two-way phone or video platform. The City of Pleasant Hill qualifies and must start offering such remote participation beginning July 1, 2026. Accompanying this requirement is an additional requirement to adopt a Disruption Policy, detailing the necessary steps the City Council and staff must take if there is a disruption in the technology through which remote participation is provided. Disruption includes power outages.
DISCUSSION
SB 707 requires a qualified legislative body to offer hybrid meetings through a two-way phone or video platform. Accompanying this requirement is an additional requirement, codified in California Government Code Section 54953.8(b)(3), that the Council adopt a Disruption Policy, detailing the necessary steps that must be taken by the City Council and staff if there is a disruption in the technology through which remote participation is provided. Such disruption includes a power outage.
The attached Resolution provides that if there is a disruption in a hybrid Council meeting that prevents members of the public from remotely attending or observing a City Council meeting, the City Council shall recess for no less than one hour, during which time staff shall make good faith efforts to restore service. Following such efforts, the City Council shall adopt, by a roll-call vote, a formal finding affirming that reasonable efforts were made to resolve the disruption and that resuming the meeting serves the public interest more than further delaying the meeting to seek a resolution to the disruption. This will allow the Council to continue the meeting in person only, without remote participation.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact resulting from adoption of this required Disruption Policy.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public Contact was made through posting of the City Council agenda on the City’s official notice bulletin board, at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center, and at the Pleasant Hill Police Department. The agenda and staff report are posted on the City’s web page.
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION
Move to adopt Resolution No. __-26 regarding the City Council’s Disruption Policy.
ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDED ACTION
None.
ATTACHMENT(S)
Proposed Resolution
Prepared by: Janet Coleson, City Attorney
Lyone Conner, City Clerk
Approved by: Ethan Bindernagel, City Manager