BCDC Virtual Commission Meeting Instructions – For Public

During the COVID-19 pandemic, BCDC is conducting business remotely as we comply with State of California directives and orders for social distancing and staying at home. BCDC is committed to ensuring that our public meetings are accessible to the public and that the public has the opportunity to observe and address the meeting and to participate by providing written and oral comment on Commission matters. During this extraordinary time, and as we explore new ways of doing business and new technologies, we ask that you remain patient with us. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to technical support for technical problems.

The instructions below outline how members of the public can access virtual Commission meetings and provide public comment.

How to Join

  • Go to the BCDC Commission Public Meetings
  • Navigate to the current BCDC Commission meeting, and click the “Agenda” to get the Zoom Virtual Meeting link for that meeting
  • You can join the meeting from a desktop computer, mobile device, or telephone. You can learn more about Joining a Zoom Meeting.
    • If you are calling in, but would like to access meeting materials, please visit BCDC Commission Public Meetings.
    • We recommend that you test out your device, internet connection, and Zoom app compatibility well before attempting to join the meeting.
  • When prompted, provide your name and email address to be placed in the meeting. You will automatically be muted when joining as an attendee.
  • For any technical questions, please email technical support.

Providing Public Comment

  • Public comment for BCDC virtual Commission meetings can be provided in multiple ways.
    • Written Comments
      • You are welcome to submit written comments to the Commission via email. Please send your comment to PublicComment@bcdc.ca.gov.
      • In the subject line of your email, indicate the meeting date and the topic of your comment.
      • If you are writing in regard to an item on the Commission’s agenda, please include the meeting date and item number in the email subject line. You can find the item number on the meeting agenda.
      • For example, if you are writing in reference to Item 6 on the Commission’s April 16 meeting agenda, the subject line of your email would read:
        “SUBJECT: 4/16/2020: Item 6”
      • If you are writing with a general comment, please include the date of the Commission meeting and a brief title for your comment.
        For example: “SUBJECT: 4/16/2020: Comment on Regional Planning for Rising Sea Levels”
  • Oral Comments
    • At the beginning of the meeting and for each agendized item at the public meeting, the BCDC Commission Chair will ask whether there are any requests for public comment on items not on the agenda.
    • If you want to provide oral comments on a specific agenda item, you will need to “Raise your hand” during the Zoom meeting. *If calling into the meeting from a telephone, you can use “Star (*) 9” to raise/ lower your hand.
    • Once your hand is raised and it is your turn to speak, the Chair or the meeting facilitator will unmute you, announce your name, and you will be able to make your public comment to the Commission. *Depending on how you have called in, you may also need to unmute yourself.
    • A speaker’s time allotment is at the discretion of the Chair. It is strongly recommended, though not required, that public comments be submitted in writing beforehand so they can be distributed to all Commission members for review prior to the meeting. After your public comment, your hand will be lowered and you will be placed back on mute.

Additional Information

See Guidelines for Virtual Meetings

Contact

Public Comments (PublicComment@bcdc.ca.gov)

General Comments or Questions (info@bcdc.ca.gov)