Title
Chief Administrative Office and Clerk of the Board recommending the Board:
1) Receive a presentation evaluating the effectiveness of the Board’s revised public comment procedure after nearly six months of implementation;
2) Discuss potential adjustments to the public comment procedure and direct staff to implement the changes, if necessary;
3) Direct staff to make necessary changes to Board Policy H-1 - Communications to the Board from a Member of the Public and Board Policy H-2 - Communications from a Member of the Public for the Public Record, based on the Board’s direction on public comment procedure and to align with current practice; and
4) Approve and adopt Board Policy H-4 - Teleconference Disruption Response Policy, as required by Senate Bill 707, to establish procedures for addressing remote access interruptions during public meetings.
FUNDING: N/A
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
At the Board’s Good Governance Workshop on September 26, 2025 (Legistar file 25-0795), the Board directed staff to return with a discussion to include evaluating the meeting structure and identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, transparency, and public engagement at regular Board meetings. Staff returned to the Board on November 18, 2025 (Legistar file 25-1864) to have that discussion. Following the discussion, the Board implemented the following public comment-related procedural changes to regular Board meetings to begin in calendar year 2026:
1) Public comment on Closed Session items will be taken at the same time as public comment on the Consent Calendar; and
2) Public comment on all Agenda items (excluding Public Hearings) will be taken following consideration of the Consent Calendar.
The Board agreed to allow approximately six months of implementation before considering any further revisions. This item is being presented within the six-month evaluation period. For the Board to evaluate the effectiveness of the change in procedure, staff have collected data f...
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