3 2
8 6
CONSENT CALENDAR
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: June 3, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Telicia Lopez, City Clerk
Department: City Clerk
Subject: Adopt a Resolution Establishing a Disruption Policy in accordance with Senate Bill 707
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Resolution No. 2026-057 approving a meeting disruption policy in accordance with Senate Bill 707 (SB 707).
City Manager's Comments
N/A
Executive Summary
Senate Bill 707 updates teleconferencing and accessibility requirements under the Brown Act, including new provisions related to remote participation and public access to meetings.
By July 1, 2026, legislative bodies must adopt a policy to address a disruption of the meeting that would prevent public participation or access and provide a two-way telephonic or audiovisual platform for public participation.
Background
On October 3, 2025, SB 707 was signed, bringing significant updates to the Ralph M. Brown Act by modernizing rules for public meetings and expanding public access.
The Ralph M. Brown Act establishes requirements for open meetings of local legislative bodies. SB 707 updates provisions related to remote participation options for the public and requires a policy that addresses potential disruptions to Mayor and City Council meetings. To achieve compliance staff will be reinstating Zoom participation for public comments and requesting adoption of a disruption policy.
3 2
8 6
Discussion
By July 1, 2026, all eligible legislative bodies must implement a two-way telephonic or audiovisual platform for public participation in meetings and adopt a policy addressing technology disruptions during Mayor and City Council meetings.
The policy must address procedures for responding to disruptions of telephonic or internet service during a meeting and the efforts the legislative body will make to restore service.
The statute further requires an eligible legislative body to provide that if a disruption occurs that prevents members of the public from observing or participating in a Mayor and City Council meeting through the two-way telephonic or audiovisual platform, the Mayor and City Council must recess the open session for at least one hour and make a good faith effort to restore service. During this time, the City Council may meet in closed session, as permitted by law.
The Mayor and City Council may not reconvene open session until at least one hour has passed or service has been restored, whichever occurs first. If service has not been restored upon reconvening, the Mayor and City Council must make findings by roll call vote that good faith efforts were made to restore access and that the public interest in continuing the meeting outweighs the public interest in providing remote access. Alternatively, the meeting may be adjourned.
The proposed policy incorporates these requirements and establishes procedures to ensure transparency and continuity of meetings in the event of a technology disruption during a Mayor and City Council meeting, while maintaining flexibility to respond based on specific circumstances. 2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
Adoption of Resolution No 2026-057 aligns with No. 1: Establish clear policy direction and predictable organization structures. Adopting this policy will support the return to Zoom Public comments with clear protocols for disruptions.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact in adopting this resolution.
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, Adopt Resolution No. 2026-057 approving a meeting disruption policy in accordance with Senate Bill 707 (SB 707).
3 2
8 6
Attachments
Attachment 1 - Resolution No. 2026-057 Establishing a Disruption Policy in Accordance with Senate Bill 707
Attachment 2 - Disruption Policy
Ward:
All Wards
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions: N/A