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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 8.2 Updates to the Conduct of City Council Meetings as Required by the Brown Act Agenda Item 8.2 STAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL Page 1 of 4 DATE: May 5, 2026 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Colleen Tribby, City Manager SUBJECT: Updates to the Conduct of City Council Meetings as Required by the Brown Act Prepared by: Marsha Moore, MMC, City Clerk EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City Council will receive a report regarding updates to the Brown Act, consider adopting a Technology Disruption Policy and approving updates to the Rules for the Conduct of Meetings of the City Council, and provide direction regarding efforts to make a reasonable effort to invite groups that do not traditionally participate in public meetings to attend City Council meetings . STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Receive the report and take the following actions: 1) adopt the Resolution Approving a Technology Disruption Policy to Establish Procedures for Responding to a Disruption in the Telephonic or Internet Services That Provide Two-Way Remote Public Access to Meetings of the City of Dublin City Council; 2) adopt the Resolution Amending and Restating the Rules for the Conduct of Meetings of the City Council; and 3) authorize the City Clerk to create and carry out a plan to make a reasonable effort to invite groups that do not traditionally participate in public meetings to attend the City Council meetings . FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no immediate impact on the General Fund budget. If the City dete rmines the remote participation requirements cannot be met at meeting locations outside of the Council Chamber or Bray Community Room, the purchase of additional equipment might be necessary. 142 Page 2 of 4 DESCRIPTION: Senate Bill (SB) 707, which made many changes to the Ralph M. Brown Act, became law on January 1, 2026. This report focuses on the items that will have an impact on City Council meetings beginning on July 1, when they become effective. Staff will need to m ake some changes in meeting practice to satisfy the new requirements, some of which require action by the City Council. Teleconference and Remote Participation Requirements By virtue of its size, the City Council is an ‘eligible legislative body’ that is subject to certain heightened requirements under SB 707. Among other things, eligible legislative bodies must provide a means by which the public may remotely hear and visually observe the meeting and address the legislative body. (City commissions or committees are not ‘eligible legislative bodies.’) The City already provides those means. For most City Council meetings, the City has provided a two-way audiovisual platform, Zoom, as a convenience for public comments from the onset of COVID-19 and intends to continue doing so. Even though the City already complies, the new requirements impose some procedural requirements that the City will need to implement. Those changes are outlined below. City Council Meeting Rules The Rules for the Conduct of Meetings of the City Council include procedures related to addressing the City Council. Under the current rules, members of the public must submit a speaker slip on items on the agenda before Staff finishes their presentation, and for those speaking on Zoom, a link to the Zoom is provided after a speaker slip is submitted. SB 707 requires the Zoom link to be published, and a speaker slip will no longer be required to request to speak via Zoom. Staff is working on an internal procedure to manage the requests to speak via Zoom, using a combination of a speaker slip and allowing participants to raise their hand to speak. In addition, the Mayor will make a statement before each item starts, informing those present in person and on Zoom that they will have until the end of the Staff presentation to indicate their desire to make public comment on the item. For public comments on items not on the agenda, the public will be able to indicate their desire to speak up until the end of the public comment period. The updated Rules for the Conduct of Meetings is included as Attachment 3 for the City Council’s consideration and includes minor language updates to what must be required on the agenda regarding remote participation and how public comment will be handled. A redline version of the Rules for the Conduct of Meetings is included as Attachment 4 where underlined text is proposed to be added and text with a strikethrough is proposed to be deleted. 143 Page 3 of 4 Technology Disruption Policy The City Council must adopt a Technology Disruption Policy before July 1, 2026. SB 707 requires that the policy be approved at a noticed public meeting on the regular calendar. The policy must “address the procedures for recessing and reconvening a meeting in the event of disruption and the efforts that the eligible legislative body shall make to attempt to restore the service.” The City Council can, after making attempts to restore service, continue the meeting during the disruption after a period of at least one hour. The Policy (Attachment 2) provides for recessing in the case of a technology disruption impacting the remote participation platform and includes documentation of the efforts made to attempt to restore the meeting and reconvening the meeting after the recess. Meetings Not in the Council Chamber Changes to the Brown Act require the two-way audiovisual or two-way telephonic platform be made available in any space that has internet or telephone access. The City Council has held meetings in the Bray Community Room, Shannon Community Center, the Senior Center, and other City facilities, most if not all of which have internet access. If meetings are held in those locations, Staff will be required to have a solution to provide a platform for remote public comment. The Bray Community Room can readily accommodate two-way audiovisual participation, while spaces such as the Shannon Community Center or Senior Center may require additional investments. Staff are researching alternatives to Zoom for City meeting rooms, including the possibility of offering a audio-only (telephonic) option. Additional Public Engagement Website Updates SB 707 requires updates to the City’s website and additional outreach to encourage public participation in City Council meetings. A single webpage will be created that will provide the following:  Instructions on how to make public comment  A general explanation of the public meeting process  A calendar of all public meetings with dates/times/locations  A link to published agendas  Instructions on how to subscribe to receive the agendas via email Assistance in Translation Services While the City is not obligated to provide translations or interpretations, it is required to provide a space and to reasonably assist members of the public who wish to translate a meeting or receive interpretation. The new webpage will include instructions on how a member of the public can request assistance to arrange space for interpreters. 144 Page 4 of 4 Other Outreach Requirements The City must make a reasonable effort, as determined by the legislative body, to invite groups that do not traditionally participate in public meetings to attend the City Council meetings. Examples of such groups include the following:  Media organizations providing news coverage within the City or region, including ethnic and language-specific outlets serving non-English-speaking communities  Civil-rights, civic-engagement, neighborhood, and community-based organizations, particularly those active in or serving multilingual or historically marginalized communities Staff requests that the City Council authorize the City Clerk to create and implement a plan fulfilling this requirement. STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE: None. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: The City Council Agenda was posted. ATTACHMENTS: 1) Resolution Approving a Technology Disruption Policy to Establish Procedures for Responding to a Disruption in the Telephonic or Internet Services That Provide Two-Way Remote Public Access to Meetings of the City of Dublin City Council 2) Exhibit A to the Resolution – Technology Disruption Policy 3) Resolution Amending and Restating the Rules for the Conduct of Meetings of the City Council 4) Rules for the Conduct of Meetings of the City Council – Redline Version 145 Attachment 1 Reso. No. XX-26, Item X.X, Adopted XX/XX/2026 Page 1 of 1 RESOLUTION NO. XX – 26 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN APPROVING A TECHNOLOGY DISRUPTION POLICY TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR RESPONDING TO A DISRUPTION IN THE TELEPHONIC OR INTERNET SERVICES THAT PROVIDE TWO-WAY REMOTE PUBLIC ACCESS TO MEETINGS OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL WHEREAS, on October 3, 2025, Governor Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 707 (SB 707), which amended the Brown Act to diversify and increase public engagement in meetings of local legislative bodies. Among the various new requirements under SB 707, all qualified legislative bodies must now offer hybrid meetings (through a two-way phone or video platform); and WHEREAS, the City Council currently holds its meetings in a hybrid format via Zoom and will continue to do so; and WHEREAS, SB 707 requires the City to formally adopt a policy, on or before July 1, 2026, that establishes the procedure for recessing and reconvening a meeting in the event of a disruption of remote participation and the efforts that the City Council and Staff shall make to attempt to restore service. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Dublin approves the Technology Disruption Policy, attached hereto as Exhibit A. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED BY the City Council of the City of Dublin, on this 5th day of May, 2026 by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ______________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _________________________________ City Clerk 146 Attachment 2 Exhibit A to the Resolution City of Dublin City Council Policy POLICY NAME: Technology Disruption Policy ADOPTED YEAR: 2026 DEPARTMENT: CC REVISION YEAR: DEPARTMENT NUMBER: 1200 RESOLUTION #: XX-26 POLICY NUMBER: 1200-110 Page 1 of 3 PURPOSE: The purpose of this policy is to create procedures for responding to a disruption in the telephonic or internet services that provide two-way remote public access to meetings of the City of Dublin City Council as required by the Brown Act (Gov. Code § 54953.4). The policy ensures transparency, public participation, and continuity of government during technology disruptions. POLICY MANDATE: Senate Bill 707 (2025) amended the Brown Act to require eligible legislative bodies to adopt, on or before July 1, 2026, a policy addressing how the agency w ill respond to disruptions in telephonic or internet service that prevent members of the public from attending or observing a meeting remotely. This policy is adopted to comply with that requirement and to ensure continuity of public participation during technical disruptions. POLICY PROCEDURES AND DESCRIPTION: I. Definitions For purposes of this policy: 1. “Disruption” means any failure, outage, or other interruption that prevents members of the public from attending or observing the meeting via these remote access services. 2. “Remote access services” means the two-way telephonic service and/or two-way audiovisual platform used to provide real-time remote public attendance and observation of meetings. II. Applicability This policy applies to all open and public meetings of the City of Dublin City Council at which remote public participation is offered or required under the Brown Act. 147 Policy Number 1200-110: Technology Disruption Policy Page 2 of 3 III. Procedures in the Event of a Service Disruption Response to Service Disruption If the City becomes aware of a disruption to the agency’s remote access services that prevents members of the public from attending or observing the meeting remotely: 1. The Mayor or City Clerk shall immediately announce the disruption to the public. 2. The Mayor may then call for a recess of the open session or convene the legislative body in closed session, consistent with the Brown Act. 3. Staff shall begin efforts to diagnose and restore the disrupted service. 4. The meeting shall remain in recess for at least one hour or until service is restored, whichever is sooner. The recess period may be extended if restoration efforts are ongoing. Efforts to Restore Service The agency shall make good faith efforts to restore remote access services, which may include:  Troubleshooting platform or teleconferencing software.  Resetting or replacing audiovisual equipment.  Attempting alternative connection methods.  Contacting necessary support staff or service providers.  Switching to back-up equipment or platforms, if available. The City Clerk shall document the restoration efforts undertaken. Reconvening the Open Session Timing. The open session may be reconvened after at least one hour has elapsed from the time of disruption or as soon as service is restored, whichever occurs earlier. If service is restored. If the remote access service is restored before or at the time the meeting reconvenes, the meeting shall continue as normal. If service is not restored. If service has not been restored after one hour, the City Council may reconvene and: 1. Adjourn the meeting; or 2. Continue the meeting in open session by adopting, by roll call vote, the following, or a substantially similar, finding: “The City of Dublin has made good faith efforts to restore telephonic or internet service in accordance with its adopted policy, and the public interest in continuing the meeting outweighs the public interest in remote public access.” 148 Policy Number 1200-110: Technology Disruption Policy Page 3 of 3 Upon adoption of the finding, the legislative body may continue the open session despite the fact that remote access services have not been restored. IV. Recordkeeping The City Clerk shall enter a brief statement into the meeting minutes, including the following:  The nature and time of the disruption  The restoration efforts undertaken  The time the meeting was reconvened (if applicable)  Any finding adopted pursuant to this policy V. Review and Updates This policy may be amended by the City Council at a noticed public meeting in open session, not on the consent calendar. APPROVED BY: The City Council, Resolution No. XX-26 SUMMARY OF REVISIONS: May 5, 2026: Adopted by the Dublin City Council 149 Attachment 3 Reso. No. xx-26, Item x.x, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 1 of 8 RESOLUTION NO. xx-26 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN AMENDING AND RESTATING THE RULES FOR THE CONDUCT OF MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL WHEREAS, from time to time the City Council amends and restates the Rules of Conduct of Meetings of the City Council, and the Rules were last restated by Resolution No. 131-23; and WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to amend and restate the Rules in order to comply with changes to the Brown Act. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Rules for the Conduct of Meetings of the City Council are amended to read as follows in their entirety: 1. REGULAR MEETINGS a. Time Regular meetings of the City Council shall be held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at the hour of 7:00 p.m., except that Closed Session Items shall be held at 6:30 p.m. Whenever the day fixed for any regular meeting of the City Council falls upon a day designated as a holiday, such meeting will be held at the same hour on the next succeeding day not a holiday. b. Place All regular meetings of the City Council shall be held at the Civic Center, as designated by Ordinance. c. Public All meetings of the City Council shall be open to the public; provided, however, the City Council may hold closed sessions as provided by the laws of the State of California. 2. SPECIAL MEETINGS A special meeting may be ordered at any time by the Mayor whene ver in his/her opinion the public business may require it or upon the written request of any three members of the City Council. Whenever a special meeting shall be called, written notice of such meeting shall be delivered personally or by any other means b y the City Clerk to each member of the City Council and to each local newspaper of general circulation and radio/television station requesting notice in writing. Such notice must be delivered at least 24 hours before the time of such meeting as specified in the notice. The notice shall specify the time and place of the special meeting and the business to be transacted or discussed. No other business shall be considered at such meetings by the City Council. The agenda for special meetings shall contain the information set forth in Section 3.a. - f. below. At least 24 hours before each special meeting, the City Clerk shall post a copy of the agenda, including the call and notice of the special meeting at the same location identified in Section 3 below. 150 Reso. No. XXX-26, Item X.X, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 2 of 8 3. AGENDA The City Clerk shall, in consultation with the City Manager, arrange an agenda of matters according to the order of business and furnish each member of the City Council, the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Department Heads with a copy of the agenda packet prior to the City Council meeting at least 72 hours in advance of a regular meeting, and 24 hours in advance of a special meeting, as time for preparation will permit. The agenda prepared by the City Clerk shall, at a minimum, include: a. The date of the meeting b. The time of the meeting c. The location of the meeting d. A brief general description of each item of business to be transacted or discussed at the meeting e. Specified period of time for members of the public to address the City Council on items of interest to the public that are within the jurisdiction of the City Council, including a statement that no person may speak longer than three minutes, and including language that the City Council can only briefly respond with questions, refer to Staff, or place on a future agenda f. A specified section under which City Councilmembers and Staff may present informational-only reports At least 72 hours before each regular meeting, the City Clerk shall post a copy of the agenda in the Kiosk in front of the Civic Center located at 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin, California. The City Clerk shall execute a declaration of posting which shall be filed in the Office of the City Clerk. The City Clerk shall so mark or denote “Consent Calendar” items on the agenda to identify those items on the agenda which can reasonably be expected to generate no discussion by members of the City Council, City Staff or interested persons in the audience. The City Council shall consider all of the items on the Consent Calendar portion of the agenda at one time by a vote after a motion has been duly made and seconded. If any member of the City Council, City Staff or interested person in the audience requests that a consent item be removed from the list, such item shall be taken up for consideration and disposition in the order listed on the agenda. Where state law requires that the City provide a means by which the public may remotely hear and visually observe the meeting, the agenda shall include a description of how members of the public may, in addition to attending in person, access the meeting and offer public comment. (Reference: Gov. Code, § 54953.8(b)(2).) 4. PRESIDING OFFICER The Mayor shall preside at all City Council meetings and perform such other duties consistent with his/her office as may be imposed by the City Council. The Mayor shall be 151 Reso. No. XXX-26, Item X.X, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 3 of 8 entitled to vote, but shall possess no veto power. The Mayor shall be recognized as the official head of the City for all ceremonial purposes. The Mayor shall preserve strict order and decorum at all regular and special meetings of the City Council. The Mayor shall state every question coming before the City Council, call for the vote, announce the decision of the City Council on all subjects and decide all questions of order, subject however, to an appeal of the City Council, in which event a majority vote of the City Council shall govern and conclusively determine such question of order. The Mayor shall sign all Ordinances adopted by the City Council during his/her presence. In the event of the absence of the Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tempore shall sign Ordinances and Resolutions as then adopted. 5. CALL TO ORDER The Mayor, or in his/her absence, the Mayor Pro Tempore, shall take the chair precisely at the hour appointed for the meeting, and shall immediately call the City Council to order. In the absence of the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tempore, the City Clerk shall call the City Council to order, whereupon a temporary chair shall be elected by the members of the City Council present. Upon the arrival of the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tempore, the temporary chair shall immediately relinquish the chair upon the conclusion of the b usiness immediately before the City Council. 6. ATTENDANCE Before proceeding with the business of the City Council, the City Clerk shall enter into the minutes, the names of the members present or absent. No formal roll call need be taken. 7. QUORUM A majority of the members of the City Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a lesser number than a quorum may adjourn from time to time. The City Council may adjourn any regular, adjourned regular, special or adjourned special meeting to a time and place specified in the order of adjournment. If all members are absent from any regular or adjourned regular meeting, the City Clerk may declare the meeting adjourned to a stated time and place. If the City Clerk does, the Cit y Clerk shall cause written notice of the adjournment to be given in the same manner as provided for special meetings. A copy of the order or notice of adjournment shall be posted in the Civic Center Kiosk and other places designated by the City Council wi thin 24 hours after the time of adjournment. Whenever a regular or adjourned regular meeting is adjourned as provided in this section, the resulting adjourned regular meeting is a regular meeting for all purposes. When an order of adjournment of any meeting fails to state the hour at which the adjournment meeting shall be held, it shall be held at the hour specified for regular meetings. 8. REMOTE COUNCILMEMBER ATTENDANCE In rare cases and exceptional circumstances, the City Council permits remote attendance by City Councilmembers at regular and special City Council meetings. Only two Councilmembers are permitted to attend remotely per meeting. The first two 152 Reso. No. XXX-26, Item X.X, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 4 of 8 Councilmembers who notify the City Clerk of his or her intention to do so will be permitted to attend remotely. Video and audio remote attendance are permitted, video is preferred. 9. ORDER OF BUSINESS Promptly at the hour set on the day of each regular meeting, the members of the City Council, City Clerk (or Designee) and City Manager (or Designee) shall take their regular stations in the City Council Chambers and the business of the City Council shall be taken up for consideration and disposition in the following order except that, with the unanimous consent of the City Council, matters may be taken up out of order: • Call to Order (Closed Session) • Call to Order & Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag • Report on Closed Session Action • Presentations and Proclamations • Public Comment • Consent Calendar • Public Hearings • Unfinished Business • New Business • City Manager and City Council Reports (City Council/Staff Informational Only Reports/Matters Too Late for the Agenda) • Adjournment 10. MATTERS TOO LATE FOR THE AGENDA a. No action or discussion shall take place on any item not appearing on the agenda for a regular meeting as posted, unless one of the three items below, occurs: (1) The City Council determines by majority vote that an emergency situation exists, as defined in Government Code Section 54956.5; or (2) The City Council determines by vote of two-thirds of the members present (i.e. four votes if five members are present and three votes if four members are present), or by a unanimous vote of the members of the City Council if only three members are present, that there is a need to take immediate action and that the need for action came to the City Council's attention after the agenda was posted; or (3) The item was included in a posted agenda for a prior meeting held not more than five calendar days prior to the meeting at which the item is acted upon and at the prior meeting the item was continued to the meeting at which the action is being taken. b. When an item not on the agenda is raised by a member of the public, the City Council may briefly respond, may ask questions for clarification, provide a reference to Staff or other resources, or request Staff to report back a t a subsequent meeting. Furthermore, a member of the City Council may request that the City Council, and the City Council may, direct staff to place a matter of business on a future agenda. 11. READING OF MINUTES Unless the reading of the minutes of a City Council meeting is requested by a majority vote of the City Council, such minutes may be approved without reading if the City Clerk has previously furnished each member with a copy thereof. 153 Reso. No. XXX-26, Item X.X, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 5 of 8 12. RULES OF DEBATE a. Presiding Officer may debate The Mayor or such other member of the City Council as may be presiding may move, second and debate from the chair, subject only to such limitations of debate as are by these rules imposed upon all members. He/she shall not be deprived of any of the rights and privileges of a City Councilmember by reason of his /her acting as the Presiding Officer. b. Getting the floor Every member desiring to speak shall address the Mayor, and upon recognition by the Mayor, shall confine himself/herself to the question under debate. c. Interruptions A member, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when speaking unless it be to call him/her to order, or as herein otherwise provided. If a member, while speaking, be called to order, he/she shall cease speaking until th e question of order is determined, and if in order, he/she shall be permitted to proceed. d. Privilege of closing debate The City Councilmember moving the adoption of an Ordinance or Resolution shall have the privilege of closing the debate. e. Motion to reconsider A motion to reconsider any action taken by the City Council may be made at any time. Such a motion must be made by one of the prevailing side, but may be seconded by any member, and may be made at any time and have precedence over all other m otions or while a member has the floor; it shall be debatable. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent any member of the City Council from making or remaking the same or other motion at a subsequent meeting of the City Council. f. Remarks of City Councilmember A City Councilmember may request, through the Mayor, the privilege of having an abstract of his /her statement on any subject under consideration by the City Council entered in the minutes. If the City Council consents thereto, such statement shall be entered in the minutes. g. Synopsis of Debate The City Clerk may be directed by the Mayor, with the consent of the City Council, to enter in the minutes a synopsis of the discussion of any question coming regularly before the City Council. h. Rules of Order Except as otherwise provided in this Resolution, the current edition of “Rosenberg’s Rules of Order” shall govern the conduct of the meetings of the City Council. 13. ADDRESSING THE CITY COUNCIL Any person desiring to address the City Council at a meeting shall first secure the permission of the Mayor to do so; provided, however, that under the following headings of business, members of the public shall have the right to address the City Council u pon obtaining recognition by the Mayor. a. Addressing the City Council in Writing Interested persons or their authorized representative may request to address the City Council by written communication on any matters concerning the City's business, or an y matters over which the City Council has control. Such written communication shall be provided to the City Clerk. b. Public Comment on Agenda Items The City Council shall provide members of the public an opportunity to address the City Council before or during its consideration of the item. Although members of the public may submit comments in writing, the City Council is not required to read written comments into the record. Such written communications shall be provided to the City Clerk. 154 Reso. No. XXX-26, Item X.X, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 6 of 8 c. Public Comment – Items Not on the Agenda The City Council shall provide members of the public an opportunity during the “Public Comment” portion of the agenda to address the City Council on any item of interest to the public that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council. Although members of the public may submit comments in writing, the City Council is not required to read written comments into the record. Such written communications shall be provided to the City Clerk. 14. MANNER OF ADDRESSING CITY COUNCIL City Council meetings are business meetings, and persons addressing the City Council are expected to conduct themselves accordingly. Each person addressing the City Council in person shall stand at the podium and should give, in an audible tone of voice for the record, his/her name, although providing one’s name is not required. Persons desiring to address the City Council shall submit a speaker slip or indicate on the remote platform their desire to speak, the purpose of which is to allow the Mayor to manage the meeting and the City Clerk to produce the minutes, although the person need not provide his or her name in order to speak. The City Council expects that remarks will be addressed to the City Council as a body and not to individuals or the public. No person, other than the City Council and the person having the floor, shall be permitted to enter into any discussion, either directly or through a member of the City Council, without the permission of the Mayor. No question shall be asked of a City Councilmember except through the Mayor. On each agenda item, each member of the public shall be given a specified amount of time to address the City Council during the public comment period, and the time limits shall be reasonably and uniformly applied to all speakers, so far as is possible, with the exception of formal applicants for approvals from the City who will be allotted additional time. The time limit shall be no more than three minutes for each speaker. Any member of the public who wishes to speak shall submit a speaker slip prior to the conclusion of the oral staff report on the agenda item. The Mayor, Vice Mayor or a member of Staff will make a statement at the beginning of the meeting reminding the public of this policy. 15. VOTING a. Members of the City Council shall vote by a “voice vote” on all Ordinances, Resolutions and other matters, unless a roll call vote is required by law or is requested by a City Councilmember. Silence shall be recorded as an affirmative vote. The Mayor shall announce the result of the vote. As required by Government Code section 54953(c)(2), the City Clerk shall record in the minutes the vote or abstention of each City Councilmember present for the action. b. The vote on any matter being considered by the City Council may be delayed by the Mayor until all members of the City Council present for a meeting, and not excused as herein provided, are present at the City Council dais. c. A member of the City Council who has a conflict of interest regarding any matter being considered by the City Council shall declare the conflict and excuse himself/herself from participating in the City Council's deliberations and decisions regarding that matter. 155 Reso. No. XXX-26, Item X.X, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 7 of 8 16. ORDER AND DECORUM a. By City Councilmembers While the City Council is in session, the members must preserve order and decorum, and a member shall neither by conversation or otherwise, delay or interrupt the proceedings or the peace of the City Council nor disturb any member while speaking or refuse to obey the orders of the City Council or Mayor, except as otherwise herein provided. b. By Persons Any person making remarks or engaging in conduct which actually disrupts, disturbs, or impedes the proceedings or the peace of the City Council or disturbs any member while speaking or refuses to obey the orders of the City Council or the Mayor shall be forthwith, by the Mayor, barred from further audience before the City Council, unless permission to continue is granted by a majority vote of the City Council. In order to maintain the appropriate level of civility in the City Council’s business meetings, persons are expected to refrain from making personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks and from becoming boisterous. c. Enforcement of Order and Decorum A law enforcement officer shall be designated as Sergeant-at-Arms of the City Council meetings when requested by the Mayor. He/she shall carry out all orders and instructions given at the City Council meeting. Upon instruction of the Mayor, it shall be the duty of the Ser geant-at-Arms to remove and bar such person from the City Council meeting who violates the order and decorum of the meeting. Violation of the order and decorum of a City Council meeting is a misdemeanor. d. Smoking Smoking is prohibited at all times in all City-owned facilities. 17. PROHIBITION ON POLITICAL ACTIVITIES Members of the City Council shall not engage in political activities related to local, state, or federal elections during Council meetings. For the purposes of this section, the term “political activity” shall mean an activity directed toward the success or failure of a political party, a candidate for elected office, a ballot measure, or a political group. Nothing in this section shall prevent the City Council from considering whether or not to support or oppose a ballot measure or state or federal legislation. 18. SPECIAL COMMITTEES/TASK FORCES All special committees/task forces shall be appointed by the Mayor, subject to approval of the City Council. 19. CITY COUNCILMEMBER VACANCIES When a vacancy occurs on the City Council, in the office of City Councilmember or Mayor, and the City Council determines to consider filling the vacancy by appointment, the City Council will make such appointment only at a meeting at which all remaining City Councilmembers (including the Mayor) are present. This rule shall not preclude the City Council from calling a special election to fill the vacancy or from adopting an ordinance to fill the vacancy pursuant to Government Code Section 36512 at a meeting at which one of the remaining City Councilmembers (including the Mayor) is absent. 20. PROTESTS 156 Reso. No. XXX-26, Item X.X, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 8 of 8 Any City Councilmember shall have the right to have the reasons for his/her dissent from, or protest against, any action of the City Council entered in the minutes. 21. ADJOURNMENT A motion to adjourn shall always be in order and decided without debate. 22. RULES AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW A copy of these Rules shall be available at all meetings of the City Council for review by the public. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Dublin this 5th day of May 2026, by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ___________________________ Mayor ATTEST: ___________________________ City Clerk 157 Attachment 4 Reso. No. xx-26, Item x.x, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 1 of 8 RESOLUTION NO. xx-26 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN AMENDING AND RESTATING THE RULES FOR THE CONDUCT OF MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL WHEREAS, from time to time the City Council amends and restates the Rules of Conduct of Meetings of the City Council, and the Rules were last restated by Resolution No. 131-23; and WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to amend and restate the Rules in order to comply with changes to the Brown Act. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Rules for the Conduct of Meetings of the City Council are amended to read as follows in their entirety: 1. REGULAR MEETINGS a. Time Regular meetings of the City Council shall be held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at the hour of 7:00 p.m., except that Closed Session Items shall be held at 6:30 p.m. Whenever the day fixed for any regular meeting of the City Council falls upon a day designated as a holiday, such meeting will be held at the same hour on the next succeeding day not a holiday. b. Place All regular meetings of the City Council shall be held at the Civic Center, as designated by Ordinance. c. Public All meetings of the City Council shall be open to the public; provided, however, the City Council may hold closed sessions as provided by the laws of the State of California. 2. SPECIAL MEETINGS A special meeting may be ordered at any time by the Mayor whene ver in his/her opinion the public business may require it or upon the written request of any three members of the City Council. Whenever a special meeting shall be called, written notice of such meeting shall be delivered personally or by any other means b y the City Clerk to each member of the City Council and to each local newspaper of general circulation and radio/television station requesting notice in writing. Such notice must be delivered at least 24 hours before the time of such meeting as specified in the notice. The notice shall specify the time and place of the special meeting and the business to be transacted or discussed. No other business shall be considered at such meetings by the City Council. The agenda for special meetings shall contain the information set forth in Section 3.a. - f. below. At least 24 hours before each special meeting, the City Clerk shall post a copy of the agenda, including the call and notice of the special meeting at the same location identified in Section 3 below. 158 Reso. No. XXX-26, Item X.X, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 2 of 8 3. AGENDA The City Clerk shall, in consultation with the City Manager, arrange an agenda of matters according to the order of business and furnish each member of the City Council, the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Department Heads with a copy of the agenda packet prior to the City Council meeting at least 72 hours in advance of a regular meeting, and 24 hours in advance of a special meeting, as time for preparation will permit. The agenda prepared by the City Clerk shall, at a minimum, include: a. The date of the meeting b. The time of the meeting c. The location of the meeting d. A brief general description of each item of business to be transacted or discussed at the meeting e. Specified period of time for members of the public to address the City Council on items of interest to the public that are within the jurisdiction of the City Council, including a statement that no person may speak longer than three minutes, and including language that the City Council can only briefly respond with questions, refer to Staff, or place on a future agenda f. A specified section under which City Councilmembers and Staff may present informational-only reports At least 72 hours before each regular meeting, the City Clerk shall post a copy of the agenda in the Kiosk in front of the Civic Center located at 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin, California. The City Clerk shall execute a declaration of posting which shall be filed in the Office of the City Clerk. The City Clerk shall so mark or denote “Consent Calendar” items on the agenda to identify those items on the agenda which can reasonably be expected to generate no discussion by members of the City Council, City Staff or interested persons in the audience. The City Council shall consider all of the items on the Consent Calendar portion of the agenda at one time by a vote after a motion has been duly made and seconded. If any member of the City Council, City Staff or interested person in the audience requests that a consent item be removed from the list, such item shall be taken up for consideration and disposition in the order listed on the agenda. Where state law requires that the City provide a means by which the public may remotely hear and visually observe the meeting, the agenda shall include a description of how members of the public may, in addition to attending in person, access the meeting and offer public comment. (Reference: Gov. Code, § 54953.8(b)(2).) 4. PRESIDING OFFICER The Mayor shall preside at all City Council meetings and perform such other duties consistent with his/her office as may be imposed by the City Council. The Mayor shall be 159 Reso. No. XXX-26, Item X.X, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 3 of 8 entitled to vote, but shall possess no veto power. The Mayor shall be recognized as the official head of the City for all ceremonial purposes. The Mayor shall preserve strict order and decorum at all regular and special meetings of the City Council. The Mayor shall state every question coming before the City Council, call for the vote, announce the decision of the City Council on all subjects and decide all questions of order, subject however, to an appeal of the City Council, in which event a majority vote of the City Council shall govern and conclusively determine such question of order. The Mayor shall sign all Ordinances adopted by the City Council during his/her presence. In the event of the absence of the Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tempore shall sign Ordinances and Resolutions as then adopted. 5. CALL TO ORDER The Mayor, or in his/her absence, the Mayor Pro Tempore, shall take the chair precisely at the hour appointed for the meeting, and shall immediately call the City Council to order. In the absence of the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tempore, the City Clerk shall call the City Council to order, whereupon a temporary chair shall be elected by the members of the City Council present. Upon the arrival of the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tempore, the temporary chair shall immediately relinquish the chair upon the conclusion of the business immediately bef ore the City Council. 6. ATTENDANCE Before proceeding with the business of the City Council, the City Clerk shall enter into the minutes, the names of the members present or absent. No formal roll call need be taken. 7. QUORUM A majority of the members of the City Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a lesser number than a quorum may adjourn from time to time. The City Council may adjourn any regular, adjourned regular, special or adjourned special meeting to a time and place specified in the order of adjournment. If all members are absent from any regular or adjourned regular meeting, the City Clerk may declare the meeting adjourned to a stated time and place. If the City Clerk does, the City Clerk shall cause written notice of the adjournment to be given in the same manner as provided for special meetings. A copy of the order or notice of adjournment shall be posted in the Civic Center Kiosk and other places designated by the City Council within 24 hours after the time of adjournment. Whenever a regular or adjourned regular meeting is adjourned as provided in this section, the resulting adjourned regular meeting is a regular meeting for all purposes. When an order of adjournment of any meeting fails to state the ho ur at which the adjournment meeting shall be held, it shall be held at the hour specified for regular meetings. 8. REMOTE COUNCILMEMBER ATTENDANCE In rare cases and exceptional circumstances, the City Council permits remote attendance by City Councilmembers at regular and special City Council meetings. Only two Councilmembers are permitted to attend remotely per meeting. The first two 160 Reso. No. XXX-26, Item X.X, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 4 of 8 Councilmembers who notify the City Clerk of his or her intention to do so will be permitted to attend remotely. Video and audio remote attendance are permitted, video is preferred. 9. ORDER OF BUSINESS Promptly at the hour set on the day of each regular meeting, the members of the City Council, City Clerk (or Designee) and City Manager (or Designee) shall take their regular stations in the City Council Chambers and the business of the City Council shall be taken up for consideration and disposition in the following order except that, with the unanimous consent of the City Council, matters may be taken up out of order: • Call to Order (Closed Session) • Call to Order & Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag • Report on Closed Session Action • Presentations and Proclamations • Public Comment • Consent Calendar • Public Hearings • Unfinished Business • New Business • City Manager and City Council Reports (City Council/Staff Informational Only Reports/Matters Too Late for the Agenda) • Adjournment 10. MATTERS TOO LATE FOR THE AGENDA a. No action or discussion shall take place on any item not appearing on the agenda for a regular meeting as posted, unless one of the three items below, occurs: (1) The City Council determines by majority vote that an emergency situation exists, as defined in Government Code Section 54956.5; or (2) The City Council determines by vote of two-thirds of the members present (i.e. four votes if five members are present and three votes if four members are present), or by a unanimous vote of the members of the City Council if only three members are present, that there is a need to take immediate action and that the need for action came to the City Council's attention after the agenda was posted; or (3) The item was included in a posted agenda for a prior meeting held not more than five calendar days prior to the meeting at which the item is acted upon and at the prior meeting the item was continued to the meeting at which the action is being taken. b. When an item not on the agenda is raised by a member of the public, the City Council may briefly respond, may ask questions for clarification, provide a reference to Staff or other resources, or request Staff to report back a t a subsequent meeting. Furthermore, a member of the City Council may request that the City Council, and the City Council may, direct staff to place a matter of business on a future agenda. 11. READING OF MINUTES Unless the reading of the minutes of a City Council meeting is requested by a majority vote of the City Council, such minutes may be approved without reading if the City Clerk has previously furnished each member with a copy thereof. 161 Reso. No. XXX-26, Item X.X, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 5 of 8 12. RULES OF DEBATE a. Presiding Officer may debate The Mayor or such other member of the City Council as may be presiding may move, second and debate from the chair, subject only to such limitations of debate as are by these rules imposed upon all members. He/she shall not be deprived of any of the rights and privileges of a City Councilmember by reason of his /her acting as the Presiding Officer. b. Getting the floor Every member desiring to speak shall address the Mayor, and upon recognition by the Mayor, shall confine himself/herself to the question under debate. c. Interruptions A member, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when speaking unless it be to call him/her to order, or as herein otherwise provided. If a member, while speaking, be called to order, he/she shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined, and if in order, he/she shall be permitted to proceed. d. Privilege of closing debate The City Councilmember moving the adoption of an Ordinance or Resolution shall have the privilege of closing the debate. e. Motion to reconsider A motion to reconsider any action taken by the City Council may be made at any time. Such a motion must be made by one of the prevailing side, but may be seconded by any member, and may be made at any time an d have precedence over all other motions or while a member has the floor; it shall be debatable. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent any member of the City Council from making or remaking the same or other motion at a subsequent meeting of the City Council. f. Remarks of City Councilmember A City Councilmember may request, through the Mayor, the privilege of having an abstract of his /her statement on any subject under consideration by the City Council entered in the minutes. If the City Council consents thereto, such statement shall be entered in the minutes. g. Synopsis of Debate The City Clerk may be directed by the Mayor, with the consent of the City Council, to enter in the minutes a synopsis of the discussion of any question coming regularly before the City Council. h. Rules of Order Except as otherwise provided in this Resolution, the current edition of “Rosenberg’s Rules of Order” shall govern the conduct of the meetings of the City Council. 13. ADDRESSING THE CITY COUNCIL Any person desiring to address the City Council at a meeting shall first secure the permission of the Mayor to do so; provided, however, that under the following headings of business, members of the public shall have the right to address the City Council u pon obtaining recognition by the Mayor. a. Addressing the City Council in Writing Interested persons or their authorized representative may request to address the City Council by written communication on any matters concerning the City's business, or any matters over which the City Council has control. Such written communication shall be provided to the City Clerk. b. Public Comment on Agenda Items The City Council shall provide members of the public an opportunity to address the City Council before or during its consideration of the item. Although members of the public may submit comments in writing, the City Council is not required to read written comments into the record. Such written communications shall be provided to the City Clerk. 162 Reso. No. XXX-26, Item X.X, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 6 of 8 c. Public Comment – Items Not on the Agenda The City Council shall provide members of the public an opportunity during the “Public Comment” portion of the agenda to address the City Council on any item of interest to the public that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council. Although members of the public may submit comments in writing, the City Council is not required to read written comments into the record. Such written communications shall be provided to the City Clerk. 14. MANNER OF ADDRESSING CITY COUNCIL City Council meetings are business meetings, and persons addressing the City Council are expected to conduct themselves accordingly. Each person addressing the City Council in person shall stand at the podium and should give, in an audible tone of voice f or the record, his/her name and his/her address, although providing one’s name and address is not required. Persons desiring to address the City Council shall submit a speaker slip or indicate on the remote platform their desire to speak , the purpose of which is to allow the Mayor to manage the meeting and the City Clerk to produce the minutes, although the person need not provide his or her name in order to speak. The City Council expects that remarks will be addressed to the City Council as a body and not to individuals or the public. No person, other than the City Council and the person having the floor, shall be permitted to enter into any discussion, either directly or through a member of the City Council, without the permission of the Mayor. No question shall be asked of a City Councilmember except through the Mayor. On each agenda item, each member of the public shall be given a specified amount of time to address the City Council during the public comment period, and the time limits shall be reasonably and uniformly applied to all speakers, so far as is possible, with the exception of formal applicants for approvals from the City who will be allotted additional time. The time limit shall be no more than three minutes for each speaker. Any member of the public who wishes to speak shall submit a speaker slip prior to the conclusion of the oral staff report on the agenda item. The Mayor, Vice Mayor or a member of Staff will make a statement at the beginning of the meeting reminding the public of thi s policy. 15. VOTING a. Members of the City Council shall vote by a “voice vote” on all Ordinances, Resolutions and other matters, unless a roll call vote is required by law or is requested by a City Councilmember. Silence shall be recorded as an affirmative vote. The Mayor shall announce the result of the vote. As required by Government Code section 54953(c)(2), the City Clerk shall record in the minutes the vote or abstention of each City Councilmember present for the action. b. The vote on any matter being considered by the City Council may be delayed by the Mayor until all members of the City Council present for a meeting, and not excused as herein provided, are present at the City Council dais. c. A member of the City Council who has a conflict of interest regarding any matter being considered by the City Council shall declare the conflict and excuse himself/herself from participating in the City Council's deliberations and decisions regarding that matter. 163 Reso. No. XXX-26, Item X.X, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 7 of 8 16. ORDER AND DECORUM a. By City Councilmembers While the City Council is in session, the members must preserve order and decorum, and a member shall neither by conversation or otherwise, delay or interrupt the proceedings or the peace of the City Council nor disturb any member while speaking or refuse to obey the orders of the City Council or Mayor, except as otherwise herein provided. b. By Persons Any person making remarks or engaging in conduct which actually disrupts, disturbs, or impedes the proceedings or the peace of the City Council or disturbs any member while speaking or refuses to obey the orders of the City Council or the Mayor shall be forthwith, by the Mayor, barred from further audience before the City Council, unless permission to continue is granted by a majority vote of the City Cou ncil. In order to maintain the appropriate level of civility in the City Council’s business meetings, persons are expected to refrain from making personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks and from becoming boisterous. c. Enforcement of Order and Decorum A law enforcement officer shall be designated as Sergeant-at-Arms of the City Council meetings when requested by the Mayor. He/she shall carry out all orders and instructions given at the City Council meeting. Upon instruction of the Mayor, it shall b e the duty of the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove and bar such person from the City Council meeting who violates the order and decorum of the meeting. Violation of the order and decorum of a City Council meeting is a misdemeanor. d. Smoking Smoking is prohibited at all times in all City-owned facilities. 17. PROHIBITION ON POLITICAL ACTIVITIES Members of the City Council shall not engage in political activities related to local, state, or federal elections during Council meetings. For the purposes of this section, the term “political activity” shall mean an activity directed toward the success or failure of a political party, a candidate for elected office, a ballot measure, or a political group. Nothing in this section shall prevent the City Council from considering whether or not to support or oppose a ballot measure or state or federal legislation. 18. SPECIAL COMMITTEES/TASK FORCES All special committees/task forces shall be appointed by the Mayor, subject to approval of the City Council. 19. CITY COUNCILMEMBER VACANCIES When a vacancy occurs on the City Council, in the office of City Councilmember or Mayor, and the City Council determines to consider filling the vacancy by appointment, the City Council will make such appointment only at a meeting at which all remaining City Councilmembers (including the Mayor) are present. This rule shall not preclude the City Council from calling a special election to fill the vacancy or from adopting an ordinance to fill the vacancy pursuant to Government Code Section 36512 at a meeting at which one of the remaining City Councilmembers (including the Mayor) is absent. 20. PROTESTS 164 Reso. No. XXX-26, Item X.X, Adopted xx/xx/2026 Page 8 of 8 Any City Councilmember shall have the right to have the reasons for his/her dissent from, or protest against, any action of the City Council entered in the minutes. 21. ADJOURNMENT A motion to adjourn shall always be in order and decided without debate. 22. RULES AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW A copy of these Rules shall be available at all meetings of the City Council for review by the public. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Dublin this 5th day of May 2026, by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ___________________________ Mayor ATTEST: ___________________________ City Clerk 165 Updates to the Conduct of City Council Meetings as Required by the Brown Act May 5, 2026 166 Background •Senate Bill 707 •Became law on January 1, 2026 •Some sections become effective on July 1, 2026 •Eligible legislative bodies •City Council is an eligible legislative body •The City’s commissions are not 167 Teleconference and Remote Participation •New requirements impacting City Council meetings •Must provide means for public to remotely address the body •Agenda must provide instructions on how to remotely participate •Technology Disruption Policy must be adopted by July 1, 2026 168 Updates to Rules for the Conduct of Meetings •Section 3 –Agenda •Section 8 –Remote Councilmember Attendance •Section 14 –Manner of Addressing City Council 169 Updates to Rules for the Conduct of Meetings, 2 Staff’s Recommended Amendments: •Section 1.a –Time •Clean up language regarding the scheduling of Closed Session to read: •Regular meetings of the City Council shall be held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at the hour of 7:00 p.m., except that Closed Session Items shall occasionally be held prior to 7:00 p.m. and the start time would be prominently noted on the agenda. 170 Updates to Rules for the Conduct of Meetings, 3 Staff’s Recommended Amendments (continued): •Section 2 –Special Meetings •Start of the first paragraph to read: •In conformity with Government Code section 54956, the Mayor or a majority of the members of the City Council may, at any time, call a special meeting. To ensure that the meeting can be properly noticed, any such call must be made in writing and delivered to the City Clerk. 171 Technology Disruption Policy •Brown Act Requirements: •Adopt policy on the regular calendar before July 1, 2026 •Policy requirement –address how the City will respond to disruptions •Recess requirement of at least one hour •Effort to restore service •Adopt a finding 172 Technology Disruption Policy, 2 •Proposed Policy •Meets Brown Act Requirements •Guidelines on initial response •Suggested good faith efforts •Documentation of good faith efforts and outcome 173 Additional Public Engagement •Website updates •Assistance in translation services •Other outreach requirements 174 Recommendation •Adopt the Approving a Technology Disruption Policy to Establish Procedures for Responding to a Disruption in the Telephonic or Internet Services That Provide Two-Way Remote Public Access to Meetings of the City of Dublin City Council. •Adopt the Amending and Restating the Rules for the Conduct of Meetings of the City Council, including Staff’s recommended amendments. •Authorize the City Clerk to create and carry out a plan to make a reasonable effort to invite groups that do not traditionally participate in public meetings to attend the City Council meetings. 175