Report Prepared by: Jennifer Parsley, Assistant City Clerk
Title
SUBJECT: Approval of Public Participation Procedures in Compliance with Senate Bill (SB) 707
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers establishing public comment procedures and speaker participation timelines for remote and in-person participation during City Council meetings in compliance with Senate Bill (SB) 707.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion approving a reasonable cutoff time for registration for public comment.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Provide direction to staff; or
2. Request additional information; or
3. Continue the matter to a date certain.
AUTHORITY
Charter of the City of Merced.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
As provided for in the 2025-26 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION
Staff is implementing remote public participation capabilities in compliance with Senate Bill (SB) 707, including procedures to facilitate two-way telephonic participation during public meetings. Through this process, members of the public may register to participate remotely and identify the specific agenda items on which they wish to provide comment during the meeting.
As part of the implementation process, staff is seeking Council direction regarding procedures for public comment registration and the timing for closing speaker registration on agenda items. Establishing clear procedures will help create consistent public expectations, support equitable participation opportunities, and assist in the orderly administration of meetings.
At the May 18, 2026, City Council Meeting, Council and staff discussed the use and function of e-comments, registration procedures, and participation timelines for both remote and in-person public comment. During the discussion, Council expressed interest in maintaining flexibility for members of the public to register to speak after an agenda item has begun, rather than requiring registration to close immediately at the start of the item. Council also indicated a preference not to utilize e-comments at this time.
Following further review, staff recommends implementing a registration process that allows participation requests to remain open through the initial public comment queue for each agenda item. Under this process, the Mayor would open the item for public comment, after which the City Clerk would call registered remote speakers followed by registered in-person speakers. Once the initial speaker queue has concluded, the Mayor would provide a final opportunity for any additional speaker requests before directing the Clerk to close speaker registration for that agenda item.
This approach provides flexibility for members of the public who may wish to register after the agenda item has begun while still establishing a clear and orderly process for concluding public comment.
Public Comment Queue Closure Process
1. Mayor opens public comment for the agenda item.
2. Clerk calls all registered remote speakers.
3. Clerk calls all registered in-person speakers.
4. Clerk informs the Mayor that the current speaker queue is empty.
5. Mayor states: “If you wish to speak on this item, please submit your request to speak now.”
6. Clerk allows approximately 15 seconds for additional speaker requests to be submitted.
7. Mayor directs the Clerk to close speaker registration for the agenda item.
8. Clerk closes the speaker queue and informs the Mayor of the number of remaining speakers in queue.
Under this process, individuals wishing to participate telephonically must register for the agenda items on which they intend to speak. To ensure equitable treatment of all participants, the same registration closure procedures would apply equally to individuals participating telephonically and those attending in person.
This process is intended to provide a reasonable opportunity for public participation while supporting the efficient administration of City Council meetings and compliance with SB 707 implementation requirements.
Once Council provides direction, staff can finalize the implementation of remote participation procedures and prepare all related processes for the July 1, 2026, SB 707 compliance deadline.