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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Reso 2021-54 - Emergency Teleconferencing Requirements     1    RESOLUTION NO. 2020-54XX RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF UKIAH IMPLEMENTING TELECONFERENCING REQUIREMENTS DURING A PROCLAIMED STATE OF EMERGENCY DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WHEREAS: 1. The Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act) requires that all meetings of a legislative body of a local agency be open and public and that any person may attend and participate in such meetings; and 2. The Brown Act allows for legislative bodies to hold meetings by teleconference, but imposes specific requirements for doing so; and 3. On March 17, 2020, in order to address the need for public meetings during the present public health emergency, i.e. the COVID-19 Pandemic, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order No. N-29-20, suspending the Act’s teleconferencing requirements; and 4. On June 11, 2021, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order No. N-8-21, continuing the suspension of the Brown Act’s teleconferencing requirements through September 30, 2021; and 5. These Executive Orders allowed legislative bodies to meet virtually as long as certain notice and accessibility requirements were met; and 6. The State Legislature amended the Brown Act through Assembly Bill No. 361 (AB 361) on September 16, 2021; and 7. AB 361 amended the Brown Act so that a local agency may use teleconferencing without complying with the regular teleconferencing requirements of the Act, where the legislative body holds a meeting during a proclaimed state of emergency and makes certain findings; and 8. Government Code § 54953 requires that the legislative body make additional findings every 30 days in order to continue such teleconferencing. NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council for the City of Ukiah hereby finds, determines, declares, orders, and resolves as follows: 1. That the foregoing recitals are true and correct and incorporates them by this reference; and 2. That there exists a proclaimed state of emergency and the State of California and County of Mendocino officials have imposed or recommended measures to promote social distancing; and 3. The Council has reconsidered the circumstances of the state of emergency and finds that: 2  a. The state of emergency continues to directly impact the ability of the members of the Council and the public to meet safely in person. b. State and County officials continue to impose or recommend measures to promote social distancing. 4. The City Manager or his designee is authorized to take all steps and perform all actions necessary to execute and implement this Resolution in compliance with Government Code § 54953. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 20th day of October, 2021, by the following roll call vote: AYES: Councilmembers Duenas, Brown, and Mayor Orozco NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: Councilmembers Crane and Rodin Juan V. Orozco, Mayor ATTEST: Kristine Lawler, City Clerk