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Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Does the Brown Act Allow Consultant’s Report Reviewed in Closed Sessions?

I am working on a story about a consultant's work for a California County. I was told recently that the Board of Supervisors heard a report in closed session last month on a pilot project the consultant had done. This has been a sensitive issue so I can understand why they'd want to hear […]

January 6, 2020
Asked and Answered

Brown Act School Records

Right to Videotape School Board Meetings

[…] historically violated the rights of English Language Learners and children with disabilities and their parents. Currently, 75% of the students are Latino and it is a hardship for many of the parents to attend school board meetings because usually closed sessions do not end until 8/9 pm and public transportation stops running at 10 […]

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Do Chair’s new rules for committee members violate the Brown Act?

[…] intervene. it is at the discretion of the chair whether or not to place an item requested by a committee member or the public onto the agenda. I was just prevented on putting an item on the most recent meetings agenda, although we (a dozen community members and I) were allowed to have […]

May 21, 2015
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Is public college “executive board” subject to Brown Act?

[…] that the Executive Board is covered by the Brown Act because they meet regularly, provide advisory input and suggestions to the academic senate president who sets the agenda for the academic senate, and are discussing topics extremely relevant to public interest. The Executive Board also contains all the key officers from the academic senate. […]

May 22, 2013
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

No vote on new superintendent, but of consensus reached in closed session

The School Board announced last night that they had narrowed the field of candidates for superintendent to one finalist when reporting out of closed session. But no vote was taken. The board president emailed me today that they had reached consensus. How can they do that without a vote being taken? Is that legal?

August 26, 2016
Asked and Answered

Brown Act First Amendment

New rule places unreasonable time restraints on public comments

[…] forced to comment on an already approved item. This is not right. Reasonable limitations are easy to imagine, and I suppose if up to three minutes on agenda’d items plus two minutes on Public Comment were combined for five minutes, it could be workable some of the time. But the comments need to be […]

March 5, 2012
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Convening in closed sessions

[…] be outside our District boundaries. We want to fully investigate the performance of our finalist with face-to-face interviews with co-workers, parents, community members, etc. We fully intend to post an agenda once we determine who our finalist will be. Can we convene a closed session? Do you have suggested wording to include in the agenda?

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Filing a Vacancy by Closed Session Appointment

[…] filing deadline for interested applicants was 6 hours prior to the beginning of the School Board meeting. The appointment decision was made at that meeting. Should the agenda state the names of the applicants who were interviewed during the meeting? If a public citizen asked to see the application material and was turned down, […]

June 14, 2009
Latest News

Press Release

FAC, ACLU Sue City of Fresno for Open Meetings Law Violation

[…] negotiations in violation of the Brown Act, California’s open meetings law. The lawsuit asks the court to order Fresno to comply with the Brown Act’s open meeting, notice, and public comment requirements. Since at least 2018, the Fresno City Council has had a Budget Committee that negotiated the city’s annual budget behind closed doors, […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
November 15, 2023
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Can settlements be negotiated in closed session if no pending litigation exists?

Our local water district has held a series (over 6 months) of closed sessions. It appears that the district is negotiating a water rights transfer or deal with another local water district. They cannot negotiate jointly a "settlement" agreement if no "pending" litigation exists. Isn't this a violation of the Brown Act? If so, […]

June 14, 2009