Stockton Municipal Code Ch. 4.09 Disruption of Telephonic or Internet Service During City Council Meetings

1. This Policy establishes procedures for responding to a disruption in the telephonic or internet services that provide two-way remote public access to meetings of the City Council, as required by California Government Code § 54953.4. The Policy ensures transparency, public participation, and continuity of government during technology disruptions.

2. DEFINITIONS.

"Disruption" means any failure, outage, or other interruption that prevents members of the public from attending the City Council meeting via Remote Access Services, as defined in this Policy.

"Remote Access Services" means the two-way telephonic service and/or two-way audiovisual platform used to provide real-time remote public attendance and participation in meetings of the City Council.

A) Procedures in the Event of a Remote Access Services Disruption. If the Mayor, City Manager, or City Clerk becomes aware of a Disruption to the City's Remote Access Services that prevents members of the public from attending or observing the meeting remotely:

i) The Mayor, City Manager, or City Clerk shall immediately announce the Disruption publicly.

ii) The Mayor may then call for a recess of the open session or convene the City Council meeting in closed session if there are any closed session items on the agenda consistent with the Brown Act.[1]

[1]

Editor's note: See California Government Code Section 54953.4.

iii) Staff shall begin good faith efforts to diagnose and restore Remote Access Services.

iv) The meeting shall remain in recess for at least one hour or until Remote Access Services are restored, whichever is sooner. The recess period may be extended if restoration efforts are ongoing.

The City shall make good-faith efforts to restore Remote Access Services, which may include troubleshooting platform or teleconferencing software, resetting or replacing audiovisual equipment, attempting alternative connection methods, contacting necessary support staff or service providers, or switching to backup equipment or platforms, if available. Information Technology Department staff shall document the restoration efforts undertaken and provide a copy of that documentation to the City Clerk.

B) Reconvening the Open Session. The open session may be reconvened after at least one hour has elapsed from the time of disruption or as soon as service is restored, whichever occurs earlier. If Remote Access Services are restored before or at the time the meeting reconvenes, the meeting shall continue. If Remote Access Services have not been restored after one hour, the City Council may reconvene and:

i) Adjourn the meeting; or

ii) Continue the meeting in open session by adopting, by roll call vote, the following, or a substantially similar finding:

"Pursuant to Government Code Section 54953.4, the City of Stockton has made good faith efforts to restore telephonic or internet service in accordance with its adopted policy, and the public interest in continuing the meeting outweighs the public interest in remote public access."

C) Recordkeeping. The City Clerk shall enter a brief statement into the meeting minutes, which include the following information:

i) The nature and time of the Disruption;

ii) The restoration efforts undertaken;

iii) The time the meeting was reconvened (if applicable);

iv) Any finding adopted pursuant to subsection 2)B) of this Policy.

D) Policy Review and Updates. Pursuant to California Government Code § 54953.4(b)(1)(A)(ii)(I)(ib)(Ia), this Policy may be amended by the City Council at a noticed public meeting in open session, not on the Consent Calendar.

City Clerk. Monitor and document service disruptions.

IT Department. Restoration of Services.

5/12/26 – Adopted by Resolution No. 2026-05-12-0603.