Attachment D - Exhibit A
City of Santa Maria - Public Outreach Policy
1. Purpose
Ensure broad, equitable public participation in City Council meetings by a) providing two-way remote access; b) guaranteeing equal public comment opportunities; c) translating agendas and participation instructions into applicable languages; d) aligning outreach with California language-access requirements; and encourage participation at public meetings by groups that do not traditionally participate in public meetings.
2. Scope
Applies to the City Council.
3. Policy Statements
A. Remote Participation Access
1) Provide a public option to attend via two-way telephonic or audiovisual platform.
2) Publish dial-in/link, meeting ID, and registration steps. 3) SB 707’s remote-participation obligations become operative July 1, 2026.
B. Public Comment Parity
1) Equal time and opportunity for remote and in-person commenters. 2) Fair queuing for speakers.
3) Committee-heard items may limit additional comment if a prior opportunity has been given.
C. Agenda Posting & Translation
1) Agendas translated into all applicable languages, with instructions for joining remotely.
2) Translated agendas posted with the same timelines and locations.
D. Website & Digital Outreach
1) Translated meeting webpage with agenda packets, links, and recordings. 2) Outreach should include plain-language summaries and translated joining instructions.
Attachment D - Exhibit A
E. Publication, Noticing, and Social Media Outreach
1) Public Hearing notices published in the local newspaper 2) News Releases of community programs:
a. Vacancies on Boards, Commissions, and Committees
b. Recreation and Parks Department events
c. Community Programs Division highlighting Federal programs; Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) providing essential services to vulnerable populations 3) Electronic flyer distribution:
a. Pre-approved by school district: News information distributed via Parent Square or Peach Jar app for Santa Maria Bonita School District students b. Non-Profit organizations
c. Local businesses.
4) Broadcast of City Council Meetings on three public City cable channels:
a. Public Channel 25
b. Education Channel 24
c. Government Channel 23 on Comcast cable locally
5) Citywide social media blast via Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube a. Used to promote City resources and services:
1. City Council Meeting invites
2. Bike lane infrastructure information
3. Smart City Safe City programs (i.e. Neighborhood Connect, Library hotspots, bookmobile, electric buses, free wireless internet access, etc.)
4. Organics recycling
5. Utility billing
The City will make reasonable efforts to invite groups that do not traditionall y participate in public meetings to attend meetings. These efforts will include encouraging the public to subscribe to receiving the city council agenda and continuing to send subscribers the agendas and/or City News Releases to all media organizations tha t provide news coverage in the City and good government, civil rights, civic engagement, neighborhood, and community group organizations that are active in the City as well as residents. In addition, the City Clerk’s office will reach out to the Spanish radio/TV stations, such as KTAP, KRTO Fuego, Radio Oaxaca, KIDI La Buena to name a few, which do not currently subscribe to receive notifications of City meetings. The City Clerk will also look for opportunities to invite additional community organizations that do not traditionally participate in public meetings, particularly organizations active in non -English speaking communities, such as - Central Coastal Alliance Un ited for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), Future Leaders of America to name a few.
Attachment D - Exhibit A
F. Language Access & Interpretation
1) The clerk determines applicable languages annually.
2) Provide interpreters and captions as needed.
3) Align with Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act. (Government Code §7290)
G. Accessibility & ADA
1) Provide accommodations (CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation), TTY (Teletypewriter), accessible documents). 2) Ensure platform accessibility features.
H. Meeting Disruptions & Continuity
1) Pause affected items; attempt restoration; continue/re-notice if unresolved. 2) Maintain backup access options.
I. Records & Transparency
1) Preserve all agendas and recordings.
2) Archive recordings and remote logs as required.
3) Minutes note remote participants and authority used.
4. Roles & Responsibilities
A) City Clerk’s Office: Agenda preparation, translations, postings, disruptions.
B) Public Information Officer (PIO)/Communications: Outreach, translation summaries, and partner engagement.
C) Information Technology (IT)/PEG: Platform setup, backups, accessibility support.
D) Mayor/Chair: Enforce participation fairness and decorum.
5. Training & Review
Regular staff training on Brown Act updates when applicable, language-access, and platform operations—policy reviewed annually or upon legislative change.
6. References
Gov. Code § 54953.4(b)(3)(C) et seq. (Brown Act) as amended by SB 707 (2025), Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act, ACS S1601 Language Data (U.S. Census Bureau)