California\u2019s Covid-19 State of Emergency lapsed on Feb. 28 and community planning groups will now be required by the Brown Act ensuring open public meetings to begin meeting in-person only.<\/p>\n
Under the new guidelines, such groups may only conduct hybrid or remote meetings under special circumstances. There is also a state bill pending in the legislature, Senate Bill 411, that would allow advisory groups to host hybrid (in-person and remote) meetings. However, this bill has yet to be adopted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Brown Act does not contain a grace period, so these changes take effect immediately,\u201d said Nicole Darling, director of the City\u2019s Communications Department. \u201cCity boards, committees, and commissions must comply with the open meetings requirements of California\u2019s Ralph M. Brown Act. The Brown Act\u2019s provisions concerning so-called \u2018hybrid\u2019 meetings will be in effect, resulting in changes from current practices. Among them: members of boards, committees, and commissions will not be able to attend meetings virtually except in specific circumstances, and virtual attendees will not count toward the number of members needed to attain a quorum.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe emergency provisions of the Brown Act related to virtual meetings (i.e. by teleconference) will no longer be in place and all CPG meetings will need to be either conducted in-person or comply with Brown Act requirements for virtual meetings,\u201d said City deputy planning director Tait Galloway in a letter to City staff dated Feb. 16. \u201cStarting March 1, all CPG meetings, including standing subcommittee meetings, are to be conducted under the Brown Act as they were prior to Gov. Newsom\u2019s Covid-19 declared state of local emergency. CPGs will need to secure an accessible physical meeting location or comply with the requirements for the Brown Act for virtual meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brown Act requirements of CPGs include:<\/p>\n
\u2013 Posting agendas at ALL teleconference locations containing information about the meeting, including the street address of all teleconference locations.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Allowing the public access to ALL teleconference locations. A teleconference location is a physical location where a CPG member is attending the meeting virtually such as a home or office.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Allow the public to make public comments from each teleconference location.<\/p>\n
\u2013 All votes are to be taken by roll call.<\/p>\n
CPG members attending virtually will need to disclose their teleconference location on the agenda and allow public access to their location, including giving personal addresses. CPGs are responsible for providing all necessary technology to conduct a teleconference meeting at ALL teleconference locations. This includes computers, wifi access, and audio\/visual equipment. Also, anytime there is a technical interruption that prevents the CPG from broadcasting the meeting or prevents the public from providing comments remotely, the CPG cannot take further action on action items until public access is restored.<\/p>\n
Reacting to the new rules strongly suggesting planners return to pre-pandemic live meetings, community leaders in Pacific Beach said they\u2019ve\u00a0already adapted to the change.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe PB Planning Group resumed in-person meetings with our March 8 meeting at the PB Library’s\u00a0Community Room,\u00a0which is the same location where we met prior to the pandemic,\u201d said longtime group chair Karl Rand.<\/p>\n