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FAC Prevails in Lawsuit Against Bakersfield Over Open Meetings, Records Violations

[…] including revenue, staffing and taxation. The city defended the closed-door sessions by saying discussions involved anticipated litigation, and therefore were exempt from the Brown Act’s public meeting requirements. Kern County Superior Court Judge Stephen Schuett rejected that argument. "To permit the City Council to use this exception as a subterfuge to allow the discussion […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
January 10, 2020
Asked and Answered

Bagley-Keene Act Brown Act

Bagley-Keene Act application not as broad as Brown Act

[…] of statewide advocacy organizations including consumer groups and Ombudsman’s offices. There are no ground rules established at the beginning of the meeting that the meeting is " closed" or that the state’s position on any given topic, as may be discussed or articulated by state managers are ’off the record," may not be repeated, […]

July 19, 2012
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Budget committee meets behind closed doors

Our county budget committee meets behind closed doors and keeps no written records of meetings. County staff says it’s OK because the budget committee is an ad hoc committee. They say they can designate ANY committee as an ad hoc committee and meet behind closed doors.

September 13, 2011
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Spanish Translator at School Board Meetings

With respect to the meetings of local government bodies such as school boards, the public's right to attend, receive notice of, and otherwise access those meetings is governed by the Brown Act, Govt. Code section 54950 et seq. While the Brown Act requires that certain translation services be provided to disabled persons in accordance […]

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Public comment vs. speaking on agenda item

[…] Reports" so that council members who sit on these committees or work groups can report out. There are four such reports listed at the end of our agenda. At the beginning of the meeting under Public Comment, I (as the chair) had a speaker card which listed the Item and the subject of the […]

September 27, 2011
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Does the CA legislature have an open meeting law?

[…] applies to the CA legislature. What law governs the process through which the CA legislature, including committees, considers laws and informs the public of opportunity to comment at hearings. And are there laws that prevent a committee for adding a last-minute amendment (without notice) to a bill that has little connection to the original bill?

December 17, 2014
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Rules for noticing city council study session

City Council posted a notice for a Special Meeting (Study Session). Then during the "meeting" it was referred to as a workshop and there was no record of the meeting kept. Study sessions have audios and council meetings are televised. Additionally, there is a pdf that lists the "consensus" of the council regarding chartering […]

April 16, 2013
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Agency terminates audio recording of meetings without notice

A local agency just reformed and it started to audio record it meetings and make them available to the public. I obtain one for a missed meeting. Then skipped a meeting, relying on the availability of the recording, only to be told afterwards, that the staff person did not record the meeting on direction […]

September 4, 2016
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Does the Brown Act apply to city council appointed committees?

[…] the committee appointed by the city council is subject to the Brown Act, the public may have the right to attend meetings of the committee, the right to notice of meetings, the right to have the body take no action on matters not on the agenda, and the right to speak on any item on […]

August 15, 2015
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Unauthorized meetings and communication between members of a legislative body

[…] she was not to tell anyone about it. Not only was there no publication of this meeting, the people in attendance were there by invitation and the agenda was a secret. Ground rules were laid. No policy was to be made. However, the college president promised to get back to a group in attendance […]

June 14, 2009