Asked & Answered

Q: My county passed a COVID-19 public ordinance stating that citizens are prohibited from participating in public gatherings and can be fined or arrested for doing such. With the protests happening across the city, I can see this being an issue that could lead to many protester arrests that would have otherwise been peaceful. I have emailed the director of County Health Services and the Chief Administrative Officer who signed off on this ordinance to

Q: We were prevented from entering the County Board of Supervisors Meeting in California where they were deciding whether to open up the county after the coronavirus shutdown. One man was detained for attempting to enter the building. Is it legal for the board of Supervisors to prevent the general public from attending a regularly scheduled board meeting? A: As a general matter, the public must be permitted to attend any meeting governed by the

Q: We work with a number of local water boards. Community Service Districts and Public Utility Districts. which are required to comply with the Brown Act. The boards we work with are typically in disadvantaged communities, where Spanish is the language of a large number of residents (if not the majority). I have been trying to find some law on what translation services are required for board members who are monolingual. A: I’m not aware

Q: How does a member of the public know if matters taken up in the closed session portion of a meeting of a state body qualify under relevant law to be so classified? Do we have to take the agency’s word for it? At meeting this year of a committee of CalPERS pension fund, many topics that for years have been taken up in open meetings were moved to the closed meetings. This is an

Q: If a County Supervisor stuffs an item back onto the Consent Agenda during a closed-door meeting, do I have a legitimate complaint that can be brought to the Fair Political Practices Commission? A: The California Fair Political Practices Commission is the state agency tasked with enforcement of California’s Political Reform Act, and primarily concerns itself with the conduct of political campaigns and elections. Your situation is more likely to be covered under the Ralph