REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on a Council Policy 030 Request for Information on Public Participation Options, and Audio/Visual (A/V) and Broadcasting Requirements for Potential Offsite City Council Meetings, and Direction to Staff
Report
BACKGROUND
At the February 10, 2026, City Council Meeting, Vice Mayor Gonzalez made a Council Policy 030 request to agendize a review of public participation options such as Public Presentations only for in person public speakers or holding Council meetings at alternative locations outside of Council Chambers. The City Council agreed to add this item to a future City Council Agenda.
City Council meetings are currently held in the City Hall Council Chamber, which is equipped with integrated A/V systems that support in-room audio, video display, live production, broadcasting to the City’s government access television channel, and streaming to online platforms. The City Council has expressed interest in holding City Council meetings at an offsite location, with the Northside Library identified as a preferred venue.
City Council Chamber systems include a base A/V system with controllers and production equipment, microphones, multiple displays and projectors, and the Granicus platform used for agenda management, meeting tagging, and voting. Offsite locations do not currently have equivalent equipment and production capabilities.
DISCUSSION
Currently, City Council meetings are available for live public viewing and comment in person (at City Hall) and via Zoom (telephonically or over the internet). In addition, remote live viewing (without the ability to comment) can be accessed via Facebook, the City’s website (Granicus), the City’s government access television channel, and YouTube. In total, there are seven (7) ways to view live meetings of the City Council, three of which allow for live comments (in-person, Zoom over the telephone, and Zoom over the internet).
The Brown Act
SB 707 was passed into law in 2025 and requires that, as of July 1st, all open and public meetings, including City Council meetings, shall include an opportunity for members of the public to attend via a two-way telephonic service or a two-way audiovisual platform, except if adequate telephonic or internet service is not operational at the meeting location. Gov Code 54953.4(b)(1)(A)(i)(I)(ia).
If City Council elects to provide a two-way audiovisual platform, it shall publicly post and provide a call-in option, and activate any automatic captioning function during the meeting if an automatic captioning function is included with the two-way audiovisual platform. If Council does not provide a two-way audiovisual platform, it shall provide a two-way telephonic service for the public to participate in the meeting. Gov Code 54953.4(b)(1)(A)(ii).
In-Person Only Public Comment
As noted above, currently, the public may provide live comment either in person in the Council Chambers or remotely via Zoom. Members of the public may also submit written comments in advance, which are distributed to the Council and made part of the record. Although the Council 030 request included a request to consider limitation of remote comment by members of the public, that will not be possible as a result of the new requirements of SB 707.
Offsite Meeting Locations
As staff reviewed alternative City facilities, a key consideration was the equipment required to maintain broadcast quality on the City’s government access television channel.
Council Chamber meetings rely on an integrated set of production, broadcasting, and meeting-management systems that are not currently available at any other City of Santa Clara facility. To conduct a City Council meeting with comparable functionality at an offsite venue, the City would need to procure and install additional A/V and IT equipment, and in some cases provide supporting integration and configuration services. Missing equipment and capabilities include:
1. Production equipment for live switching, audio mixing, and recording;
2. Streaming and broadcasting components and encoders to deliver live and on-demand viewing;
3. Camera systems with pan-tilt-zoom controls, controller interfaces, and presets to support consistent camera angles and accessibility needs;
4. Additional dais and audience microphones;
5. Confidence/return displays and presenter displays for Councilmembers, staff, and the public; and
6. Granicus apparatus and associated peripherals used for agenda management, speaker timer and queues, and City Council voting, including required networking and security configurations.
Based on a preliminary assessment of required equipment and implementation services, staff have identified two options to support offsite City Council meetings (costs are one-time estimates and are subject to refinement during procurement and implementation):
1. Deploy permanent equipment at the Northside Library (approximately $149,000);
2. Deploy permanent equipment at both the Northside Library and Central Library (approximately $258,000)
Some additional, non-technological, considerations may include: room size and capacity, overflow capability, and scheduling.
If City Council provides direction to prepare for holding offsite City Council meetings, staff would need to further assess room layouts, power and network connectivity, acoustics, and sightlines during detailed design to confirm final quantities and costs. The City Council would receive an update of any additional costs at a later date and staff would then proceed with an implementation approach as well as any procurement actions consistent with City Council direction.
Recommendation
Provide direction to Staff regarding whether to proceed with preparations for holding City Council meetings at an offsite location, including desired meeting capabilities and service levels.
Alternatives
1. Maintain current practice and continue to provide seven (7) ways for the public to view live meetings of the City Council that occur at City Hall -noting that three of the options currently allow for live comments (in-person, Zoom over the telephone, and Zoom over the internet).
2. Provide an alternative direction with respect to the location and participation platforms to City Council meetings.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
Any one-time costs to procure and install equipment to support offsite City Council meetings would be funded by Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) fees, subject to City Council direction and authorization. Preliminary one-time estimates are approximately $149,000 (Option 1) or $258,000 (Option 2), depending on the option selected. Estimates do not include any ongoing subscription, licensing, staffing, or support costs that may be required for the upkeep of the installed system (e.g., Granicus cloud annual costs) and for meeting-day setup and testing.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Information Technology Department, Finance Department, Library Department, City Clerk’s Office, City Manager’s Office and City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Provide direction to Staff regarding whether to proceed with preparations for holding City Council meetings at an offsite location, including desired meeting capabilities and service levels.
Staff
Reviewed by: Adam Kostrzak, CIO/Director, Information Technology
Approved by: Jovan Grogan, City Manager