Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting - June 1, 2026

The City of Santa Clara Governance and Ethics Committee met on June 1, 2026, primarily to discuss and take action on a proposed special meeting scheduling policy. The committee reviewed the need for additional meetings beyond the two regular monthly city council meetings mandated by the city charter, noting that over 40 meetings had been held in recent years due to the city's extensive business and multiple authorities. The proposed policy aimed to add structure, consistency, and transparency to scheduling special meetings, including polling council members for availability, ensuring quorum, and providing public presentation time. There was significant discussion about the distinction between regular and special meetings, implications for remote participation limits under SB77, excusal policies for absences, and the potential need to increase the number of regular meetings to better handle the city's workload. Several members expressed concern about adopting the special meeting policy without first addressing the regular meeting schedule and its ramifications, including charter compliance and attendance rules. A motion to continue the item for further research and to consider regular meeting scheduling alongside special meetings was made and seconded, reflecting the committee's desire for more comprehensive analysis before formalizing changes. The city manager and city attorney acknowledged the complexity and ongoing work needed to clarify these issues. No final vote on the policy was taken, and the item was deferred for future discussion.