California appeals court rules citizen can enforce open meeting provision in government contract

A California  appeals court reversed a lower court ruling, holding that a private citizen could enforce a contract calling for open board meetings by corporations receiving government funds.

“We believe that the purpose of the provisions requiring compliance with the Brown Act was to ensure that meetings…relating to publicly funded programs would be open to the public and to extend to the general public the right to be informed regarding the matters to be discussed at such meetings and other Brown Act protections,” the appellate judge wrote. -db

From the Metropolitan News-Enterprise, November 14, 2011, by Kenneth Ofgang.

Full story