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Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Individual Meetings for Review

[…] to shape them in a way the board would approve at an upcoming review. At the second public review, he and board members mentioned these private meetings. It doesn't sound as though board members talked amongst themselves in the period between the first and second public reviews. Does this constitute serial meetings and therefore a violation?

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Brown Act CPRA

Board Conducting Public’s Business Via Private Emails

The answer to your question is rooted in what constitutes a " serial meeting," which is prohibited under the Brown Act.The Brown Act "serves to facilitate public participation in all phases of local government decision-making and to curb misuse of the democratic process by secret legislation of public bodies." Epstein v. Hollywood Entertainment Dist. II […]

June 24, 2010
Asked and Answered

Brown Act First Amendment

Commissioner advised speaking to press could give rise to Brown Act violation

[…] very concerned that this interpretation of the Brown Act violates my First Amendment right of freedom of speech, and also censors the press. Obviously I wouldn’t be meeting with commissioners in private to discuss a subject, or even publicly to discuss a subject. I would be speaking to the press publicly. I would appreciate […]

December 5, 2011
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Engaged couple running for school board a conflict of interest?

[…] ethical, implications of the factual scenario that you present. Violations of the Brown Act would be implicated here if the two board members somehow create a " serial meeting" through communications with each other, which are then related by them to other board members either directly or indirectly (i.e., through intermediaries such as staffers). Under […]

July 7, 2010
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Serial Meetings 101

A citizen here has asked the DA to investigate Riverside County supervisors for possible violation of the " serial meetings" provision of the Brown Act. Could someone explain to me exactly how a series of two-person conversations can violate the act? On a five-member board, if A discusses X with B, and then B discusses […]

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Did email exchange between committee members violate Brown Act?

[…] Committee, privately, on campus, that he would be moving to New York and would not be teaching anymore at our college. He said we would have a meeting about his leaving as soon as he learned about what sick time he had left, etc. He didn't know when it was he would be resigning. […]

March 16, 2015
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Intimidation of Journalists

[…] traced the IP address) and the next few comments were probably made by the same person. They could almost be viewed as threats. That along with a meeting recently requested by a city council member. When Publisher and Editor showed up he had unexpectedly to us invited another city council member and together the […]

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Informal Meetings and the Brown Act

I understand that the Brown Act prohibits a majority of a Board of Supervisors from meeting together illegally. However, can one supervisor discuss an issue with another two or more other supervisors on a personal, informal basis, one at a time?

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Are Emails Meetings?

Can members of a public agency use emails (to all members of the board) to share information regarding board matters. These are information only emails, no action is taken, and no votes are taken. They are used to provide information on action that may or may not be taken at the scheduled board meetings.

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

Brown Act

Appointing board members and the Brown Act

[…] and only those applications received by November 1st of the year prior to elections will be considered. New Board members are elected at the Board's February regular meeting. However, nothing shall prohibit the Board from drafting new Board members at any time during the year should the need or a vacancy arise." The school […]

June 14, 2009