A procedural error alleged to be a violation of the Brown Act, California’s open government law, caused Marin County’s Tamalpais Union High School board of trustees to postpone a vote on administration pay raises. The board had tried to approve the raises in a vote on the consent agenda without public comment. (Marin Independent Journal, October 29, 2014, by Laith Agha)
The Los Angeles district attorney’s office found that the county board of supervisors violated the Brown Act by discussing salary negotiations in closed session. The issue was not included on the public agenda before the meeting. (Los Angeles Times, October 31, 2014, by Abby Sewell)
Humboldt County supervisors were charged with violating the Brown Act by a citizen claiming that the use of committees shut the public out of discussions of issues vital to the public. “The Brown Act has a provision, generally speaking, that meetings are going to be open and publicly noticed and agendized,” said Fortuna resident Jenelle Egger who brought the complaint. “It says that applies to the legislative bodies and its commissions and committees and then it gives an exception to that. The way the county seems to be interpreting it is that as long as it has less than quorum of the board members it was not subject to the Brown Act.” (Eureka Times-Standard, October 18, 2014, by Will Houston)
A Colton city manager claimed he was fired without due process or a public hearing under the Brown Act. The man said he was fired during investigations into misconduct and misappropriation of public funds and said he had a right to respond to the false charges in a public session. (San Bernardino Sun, October 10, 2014, by Leslie Parrilla)
A First Amendment attorney says the Washington Hospital board of directors is violating the Brown Act by using vague wording in listing agenda items for its closed sessions. The board uses board labels for the items including “human resources,” “risk management” and “emergency.” The Brown Act requires more detailed listings. (Insurance News, October 17, 2014, by Rebecca Parr of The Daily Review, Hayward)
A trustee of the Manteca Unified School District alleged that her fellow trustee used his cell phone during board meetings in violation of school board policy and possibly the Brown Act. (Manteca Bulletin, October 18, 2014, by Rose Albano Risso)