IN THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-XXX
RESOLUTION TO APPROVE ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS WHEREAS, the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code § 54950 et seq.) was adopted in 1959 and regulates meetings of local legislative bodies; and
WHEREAS, updates to the Brown Act were signed into law by Governor Newsom on October 3, 2025 with the aim of improving transparency and engagement in public meetings; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of San Leandro is committed to ensuring equal access and transparency in public meetings; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds it necessary to adopt administrative policies for City Council meetings for the purposes of implementing these updates to the Brown Act.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of San Leandro does RESOLVE as follows:
That the following administrative polies are hereby approved:
1. City Council Meeting Disruption Policy (Exhibit A)
2. City Council Meeting Language Access Policy (Exhibit B) Introduced by Councilmember _______________ and passed and adopted this 20th day of April 2026 by the following vote:
AYES: ()
NOES: ()
ABSENT: ()
ATTEST:
Sarah K. Bunting
Acting City Clerk
DRAFT
City Council Meeting Disruption Policy
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-XXX 2
EXHIBIT A
1) Overview
This policy establishes procedures to ensure continuity of public access and participation during City Council meetings. The policy affirms the City Council’s commitment to maximizing public access and outlines the actions the City will take if a disruption prevents the public from viewing the meeting or providing public comment remotely. 2) Policy
A. Disruptions during the meeting
1. If a disruption occurs that prevents public remote attendance or comment, the presiding officer will announce the disruption.
2. The open session shall be recessed for at least one hour, and reasonable efforts shall be made in good faith to restore the service.
3. During the recess, the body may meet in closed session if authorized.
4. The meeting minutes will document the disruption in the meeting minutes (start time of disruption, duration, resolution steps taken).
B. If Service is Restored
The City Council may resume the open session when service is restored (even if before the one-hour recess is complete) by announcing that the remote link/comment option is functional again.
C. If Service Cannot Be Restored
If service is not restored, prior to taking further action, the City Council must adopt a finding by roll-call vote that:
a. Good-faith efforts to restore service were made in accordance with this policy; and b. The public interest in continuing the meeting outweighs the public interest in remote public access.
The City Council may proceed with the meeting only after the rollcall finding (as above) is adopted.
DRAFT
City Council Meeting Language Access Policy
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-XXX 3
EXHIBIT B
1) Overview
This policy affirms the City’s commitment to making reasonable efforts to encourage participation by communities that do not traditionally engage in City Council meetings.
This policy supports broad and equitable public participation and ensures compliance with the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code § 54950 et seq.) requirements pertaining to multi-language access and outreach.
2) Policy
A. Language Data Source
The City Council confirms that the American Community Survey is the City’s preferred data source for identifying language eligible for translation of City Council meeting agendas.
Based on the most recent data available in the American Community Survey, languages spoken by 20 percent or more of the applicable population, provided that 20 percent or more of the population that speaks that language speaks English less than “very well”, include the following:
• Spanish (23% of total population; 57% speak English less than “very well”) • Chinese (21% of total population; 76% speak English less than “very well”) This data was most recently validated from the U.S. Census Bureau website, "Language Spoken at Home" American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S1601, 2024, https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2024.S1601?q=S1601, accessed December 10, 2025.
B. Meeting Outreach
The City retains discretion over the type and scope of outreach activities and is not required to contact any specific group. Outreach methods may vary based on available resources and priorities, and may include both low-resource and higher-resource approaches, such as digital communications, printed materials, in-person outreach, or coordination with community organizations.
DRAFT