Participating in Santa Ana Water Board Meetings via Internet or Telephone

 Please check this page regularly and again before the board meeting starts as it will be updated with additional information to facilitate the public’s participation in the meeting.

 

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Details for February 14, 2025 Santa Ana Water Board Meeting


 

Details for February 14, 2025 Santa Ana Water Board Meeting

Information about participating in the Santa Ana Water Board’s meeting is further down on this page and should be reviewed before joining the meeting. Once you have reviewed details on this page, and obtained the Meeting ID and password, you may join the meeting as early as 8:45 a.m. on the meeting day.
Instructions for obtaining Meeting ID and password are below.

You do not need to create a Zoom account to join the meeting.

Individuals who require special accommodations for telephonic or video participation are requested to contact Jessica Baenre by phone at: (951) 782-3285 or by email at: jessica.baenre@waterboards.ca.gov, no later than seven business days prior to the meeting.

In-Person Meetings with a Remote Participation Option

Members of the public who wish to observe or to address the Board may join the Board Members at the noticed, physical meeting location, or may use the Zoom application to address the Board remotely. At least four Board Members will be present at the physical meeting location. One or more Board members may be participating remotely.

Board members who cannot attend in person due to a physical or mental disability may be counted as physically present. (Gov. Code, § 11123.2, subd. (j)(2).)

While every effort has been made to streamline the remote experience, there may be technical issues and human error. We will attempt to correct any issues that arise as soon as we can. If we lose remote public access to the Zoom platform, the Board will adjourn the meeting but may reconvene the meeting on the same day. The Board will provide notice of the meeting's recess or adjournment on its website https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/santaana/ and by email to anyone subscribed to the "Board Meetings" email list. If the meeting will reconvene on the same day, the Board will provide notice of the time the meeting will reconvene via these same methods, along with any updated instructions on joining the meeting.
To subscribe to the email list, go to California Water Boards (govdelivery.com), enter your email address and click "Submit," and select "Board Meetings" from the dropdown menu.

If You Only Want to Watch or Listen to the Board Meeting

The webcast can be viewed through most web browsers from this page: https://cal-span.org/. (closed captioning available). Individuals who only want to watch or listen should use this option as it preserves interactive meeting resources for those who are commenting on items.

Please note: The Board will not adjourn the meeting if the Cal-Span access goes down. The Board may choose to take a break until the Cal-Span broadcast resumes and/or to give members of the public time to obtain passwords and switch to the Zoom platform. Please contact r8support@waterboards.ca.gov if the Cal-Span access goes down.

If You Want to Provide Oral Comments to the Board During the Meeting

Members of the public who wish to provide oral comments are encouraged to join the Board Members and staff at the noticed meeting location. Alternatively, a member of the public may use the Zoom application to address the Board remotely. You can either call in or use a computer or mobile device (e.g., mobile phone or tablet) to participate via audio or video conference.

Guidelines for Orderly Participation for Those Who Want to Comment During the Meeting

  • Remote meetings often lack the same visual and social cues available during public, in-person meetings. Please be respectful and patient so all interested commenters can be fairly heard.
  • Call in to the meeting or video conference in to the meeting 15 minutes before the scheduled start of the meeting to ensure you can resolve any technical issues before the meeting starts. You will initially be in a virtual waiting room, and will remain there until the start of the meeting.
  • You will be muted until it is your turn to speak. While muted, you will be able to hear the Board meeting and can continue watching via the remote meeting service if you have connected from a computer or mobile device.
  • Even though you may only wish to comment on one item, the Board encourages you to participate in the entire meeting via the remote meeting service because there are at times brief delays associated with the webcast, and it may not be synchronized with interactive meeting.
  • Regardless of whether you participate via phone, computer, or mobile device, please participate from a quiet environment so that the Board can hear you when you are called upon. If you are using the internet to connect to the meeting, try to ensure you have a good connection or strong signal.
  • It is important to avoid creating acoustic feedback. If there are other devices near you that are tuned into the meeting, please make sure that the speaker volume of those devices is turned off when it is your turn to participate.
  • The Board Chair will maintain decorum during the meeting as is customary in public meetings, and individuals who are disruptive may be removed from the remote meeting service or have their connection muted.
  • Other public commenters will be able to see your name (which is not unusual because commenters already have to identify themselves for the record before speaking). You may identify yourself anonymously if you do not plan to speak. If you call in, other commenters will see the last three digits of your phone number unless you have called in anonymously.

Joining the Meeting Remotely if You Want to Participate

  • The Santa Ana Water Board will be using the Zoom meeting service to allow members of the public to participate.
  • Do not use the webcast if you are participating through the Zoom remote service.
  • Meeting ID and password are necessary to join the Zoom meeting and instructions for obtaining the Meeting ID and password are below.

Participating via Telephone

  • The Zoom remote meeting service allows individuals to dial from a list of California phone numbers.
  • You will need to have the phone number and Meeting ID to join the meeting. Instructions for obtaining Meeting ID and password are below.
  • When you are asked to comment during the meeting, the meeting organizer will unmute your phone, but you may also need to press *6 on your phone.

If you want to use your phone to provide comments but follow along with the video presentations (e.g., because you do not have or want to use a computer microphone or camera), you can do so, but the computer or mobile device will need to be connected to the Zoom meeting using the steps below for “Participating via Video Conference.” When connecting to the Zoom meeting through a computer or mobile device select the option that you are participating by phone call. The Zoom service will give you a participant number that you can then enter on your phone.

Participating via Video Conference

  • The Santa Ana Water Board will be using the Zoom remote meeting service for those who want to provide comments.  Do not use the webcast if you are participating through the Zoom remote service.
  • You do not need to create a Zoom account to participate in a Water Board meeting. The Meeting ID and password provided by the Water Board are all you will need to join the meeting. If you plan to speak you will need to enter your name so the Board can identify and unmute you from the speaker queue.
  • You do not need to install software on your computer to participate. The Zoom service can run within an existing web browser.
  • Downloading the Zoom software may, however, provide a superior meeting experience for you. You can download the Zoom client in advance at: https://zoom.us/download
  • Familiarize yourself with the Zoom features here: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/categories/200101697

Requesting to Speak (the “Virtual Speaker Card”) and Obtaining the Password

Persons speaking at Santa Ana Water Board meetings are accustomed to filling out a speaker card. To allow for a more orderly process of identifying speakers in advance, the Santa Ana Water Board will use virtual speaker cards. The virtual speaker card will allow the Board Clerk to identify commenters interested in a particular item, locate them within the Zoom meeting waiting list, and unmute them so they can address the Board at the appropriate time.

To request to speak on an item and to receive the meeting password:

After you submit the online registration form, you will receive an email with the Zoom weblink and phone numbers to participate in the meeting. If you do not receive a confirmation email with the Zoom information after filling out the online registration form, please email jessica.baenre@waterboards.ca.gov or call 951-782-3285.

If you do not complete the online registration form by the deadline, please do so as soon as you can. You cannot participate in the Zoom meeting until you receive an email with the Meeting ID and password. This means you may need to begin watching the webcast available at: https://cal-span.org/.

  (Page last updated 11/1/24)