Question
What is the obligation of a body that is required to comply with the Brown Act with regards to informing the public of how to access their agendas and minutes? Direct requests to the body for agendas and minutes has been ignored. Is there a procedures or process that public citizens should be aware of?
Answer
The Brown Act does not require government bodies to keep minutes. However, under section 54957.5 of the Brown Act, the body must make agendas and “any other writings” concerning public sessions available “upon request without delay.” The body can charge a copying fee, but not if you just want to inspect (and not copy) the records. You should be able to walk into the agency’s office and request to see copies of the agendas and, if they are kept, the minutes of any public sessions. Alternatively, you could submit a written request under the Brown Act (Government Code section 54957.5) and the California Public Records Act (Government Code section 6250).
Asked & Answered posts should not be relied on as legal advice, and FAC makes no guarantees about their completeness or accuracy. All posts carry a date of publication that readers should take note of in assessing their usefulness, given that laws and interpretations of them may change over time. Posts predating Jan. 1, 2023, that discuss the California Public Records Act may contain statute numbers no longer in use. Please see this page for a table showing how the California Public Records Act has been renumbered.