The city of La Cañada Flintridge announced Wednesday that residents may participate remotely in City Council meetings through Zoom under updated public comment procedures adopted to comply with a new state law.
The hybrid participation format, which took effect Wednesday, allows residents to provide public comments either in person or remotely during City Council meetings, according to city officials.
The changes are intended to comply with Senate Bill 707, which updates California’s Ralph M. Brown Act by expanding remote public access to local government meetings and establishing new accessibility requirements for eligible legislative bodies, including live remote participation, policies for handling technology disruptions and additional measures to encourage public participation.
La Cañada Flintridge residents participating remotely may speak by joining the meeting through Zoom and using the platform’s “raise hand” feature during the designated public comment period, city officials said. Those attending in person may continue to submit speaker cards to the city clerk before addressing the council.
“Civic engagement is a cornerstone of our community, and we want to make it as easy as possible for residents to share their voices,” Mayor Kim Bowman said in a statement. “By offering a virtual option alongside our traditional in-person meetings, we are reinforcing our commitment to transparency and ensuring that everyone has an accessible way to participate in the decisions that shape La Cañada Flintridge.”
Meeting agendas and instructions for joining City Council meetings remotely are available on the city’s website at lcf.ca.gov.