RESOLUTION NUMBER R-
San Diego Res. R-316850
California Municipal Codes
/ -1. 2 (R-2026-559) RESOLUTION NUMBER R- 316850 DA TE OF FIN A L PASSA G E U N 2 9 2026 A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO DETERMINING THAT THE CITY HAS MADE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO INVITE AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION FROM INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS THAT DO NOT TRADITIONALLY PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC MEETINGS. RECITALS The Council of the City of San Diego (Council) adopts this Resolution based on the following: A. The California Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act), established in 1953 and codified as California Government Code
Section 54950 et seq, establishes the public's right to attend and participate in meetings of local legislative bodies. In 2025, Senate Bill 707 (S. B. 707) was signed into aw and created new requirements under the Brown Act. B. S. B. 707 required the City of San Diego (City) to take certain actions to encourage residents, including those in underrepresented communities and non-English speaking communities, to participate in meetings.
These required actions include: maintaining a system to electronically accept and fulfill requests for meeting agendas and documents; creating and maintaining a public website with information about public meetings; and making reasonable efforts to invite groups that do not traditionally participate in public meetings to attend meetings. C.
The Office ofthe City Clerk, in partnership with the Office of the Council President and other City Departments such as Communications and Performance and Analytics (PANDA), has undertaken a series of proactive outreach and engagement efforts designed to increase awareness of Council meetings and reduce barriers to participation. D. Recognizing that traditional methods of public noticing may not effectively reach all communities, particularly historically underserved populations and individuals unfamiliar -PAGE 1 OF 4- .
(R-2026-559) with government processes, the Office of the City Clerk launched a comprehensive public engagement initiative that included community listening sessions, educational presentations, multilingual outreach, website improvements, expanded accessibility resources, and direct engagement with community organizations. These efforts were designed not only to inform residents about opportunities to participate in Council meetings, but also to listen and learn from community members regarding barriers that may prevent participation.
In addition to listening sessions, the City Clerk attended planning group and community meetings and events in Council Districts 3,4,8 and 9 to educate residents on how to participate in City government and encourage broader community involvement. E. Feedback received through listening sessions, surveys, and direct outreach has informed several operational improvements and will continue to guide future engagement strategies.
The Office ofthe Council President, the Office ofthe City Clerk, and other City Departments such as PANDA and the Communications department have implemented numerous measures to address community feedback and expand participation opportunities. F.
The actions taken by the City to invite public participation include: conducting direct community outreach in neighborhoods and community gathering spaces; providing information in multiple languages and accessible formats; reducing technological and procedural barriers to participation; soliciting and incorporating community feedback through listening sessions and surveys; expanding opportunities for both in-person and virtual participation; partnering with community organizations and planning groups to broaden awareness of participation opportunities; and improving accessibility, transparency, and understandability of legislative materials. -PAGE 2 OF 4-
(R-2026-559) G. Based on the actions outlined in the staff report, staff requests that Council determine that the City has made reasonable efforts to invite participation from groups that do not traditionally attend public meetings. H. The Office of the City Attorney prepared this Resolution based on the information provided by City staff, with the understanding that this information is complete and accurate. I. Under California Government Code
section 54953. 4(b)(3), the legislative body makes the determination that the City's efforts to invite participation from groups that do not traditionally attend public meetings were reasonable. Thus, under San Diego Charter
section 280(a)(1), this determination is exclusively within the purview of the Council, and thus, not subject to the Mayor's veto. ACTION ITEMS
Be it resolved by the Council of the City of San Diego: The Council determines that based on the actions described in the staff report, the City has made reasonable efforts to invite and encourage participation from groups that do not traditionally participate in public meetings. APPROVED: HEATHER FERBERT, City Attorney By Kathy J. Steinman Chief Deputy City Attorney KJSvg June 11,2026 Or. Dept: City Clerk Doc. No. 4461705 -PAGE 3 OF 4-
(R-2026-559) I certif that the Council of the City of San Diego adopted this Resolution at a meeting held on JUN 2 9 2026 DIANA J. S. FUENTES City Clerk - B ì/ -ùýr Deputy City Clerk -PAGE 4 OF 4-
401 Passed by the Council of The City of San Diego on lune 29,2026, by the following vote: Councilmembers Yeas Nays Not PresentRecused Joe LaCava Jennifer Campbell Stephen Whitburn Henry L. Foster 111 M arni von Wilpert Kent Lee Raul A. Campillo Vivian Moreno Sean Elo-Rivera Date of final passage JUN 2 9 2026 (Please note: When a resolution is approved by the Mayor, the date of final passage is the date the approved resolution was returned to the Office of the City Clerk. ) AUTHENTICATED BY: TODD GLORIA Mayor of The City of San Diego, California. (Seal) DIANA I. S.
FUENTES City Clerk of The City of San Diego, California. By , Deputy Office of the City Clerk, San Diego, California Resolution Number R-316850