Page 9 - Board Member Toolkit

each meeting they wish to attend remotely. The legislative body must also
take action to approve the request. If the request is not made in time to place
it on the agenda, such action may be taken at the beginning of the meeting
and must include a general description of the circumstances related to the
member’s need to participate remotely.

Members participating remotely due to an emergency must participate both
on camera and via audio. Additionally, before any action is taken, the member
must disclose if anyone 18 or older is in the room at the remote location with
them, and the general nature of the relationship with the person or persons.
Members may not participate in meetings remotely (whether due to an
emergency, or in combination with “just cause”) for more than three
consecutive months or 20 percent of the legislative body’s meetings in one
calendar year. If the body meets less than 10 times a year, members may not
participate remotely for more than two meetings.

The legislative body must still adhere to the quorum, notice, and agenda
requirements applicable under the Brown Act. Unlike the traditional
teleconferencing option, individual members who are remotely attending the
meeting under this option are not required to make their remote location open
and accessible to the public and their location does not have to appear in the
agenda. The legislative body must also ensure means for the public to access
and participate in the meeting remotely, either via a two-way audio-visual
platform or two-way telephonic service plus live webcast, as a means by which
the public may remotely hear and visually observe the meeting and remotely
address the legislative body.

(Government Code § 54953(f).)

Agendas for Meetings
Every meeting must have an agenda describing the business to be conducted. All
agendas must be posted in a location at the agency offices that is freely accessible to
the public. In addition, agendas must be posted on the agency’s primary Internet Web
site homepage and accessible through a prominent, direct link to the current agenda.
The agenda must be posted in an open format that allows the agenda to be
retrievable, downloadable, indexable, and electronically searchable. Agencies may
utilize an integrated agenda management platform to meet these requirements.

Members of the public and media may request a copy of the agenda and all materials
sent to the legislative body with respect to open session meetings. The packet is
distributed to all persons, including the legislative body, simultaneously.

Each meeting must have an agenda describing each item on the agenda; generally the
description of each item need not exceed 20 words. Agenda descriptions should be

6 Guide to Effective Governance