Training review: SB 707 teleconferencing rules and SB 827 ethics/fiscal training flagged for implementation

City staff used the council training session to summarize key changes from recent state laws that affect meeting operations and official training requirements.

SB 707/Brown Act teleconferencing: City attorney/presenter Floyd reviewed SB 707 revisions that govern teleconferenced participation and restore procedures after broadcast disruptions. He described the one‑hour restoration window (staff must attempt to restore remote access), the option for the council to make a finding to continue without remote access if restoration is unsuccessful, and the requirement that remote participants state the legal basis for their remote attendance at the start of the meeting. Floyd also described a translation trigger in the law: if 20% or more of the city’s population has a primary language other than English, agendas must be translated to that language. Staff discussed practical approaches — hiring professional translators and piloting AI assistance for translations — and noted the city must be in full compliance by June 2026.

SB 827 / Ethics and fiscal training: Floyd also summarized SB 827’s requirement for ethics and fiscal training for new officials and senior staff. The law requires training (including a two‑hour fiscal component) to be completed within six months for new officials and periodically thereafter; the state is preparing materials that jurisdictions may use. The clerk confirmed that portions of these training requirements (ethics forms and records) have been in place locally and that the city will coordinate additional fiscal training via HR.

Public questions and staff commitments: Council members asked for clarity on whether translation requirements apply based on resident population or on travel participants; staff clarified it is city population‑based, not the traveling location of an individual council member. Several council members and a public commenter asked staff to provide the training slide deck and to post transcripts or materials online; staff agreed to post slides and explore posted transcripts and translated agenda files.