In the face of community pressure and legal threat, the Oceano Community Servies District is changing its way of conducting business. The board is allowing public comment after staff reports and vacating a closed meeting vote on an increase in the pay for the interim general manager. -db From The Tribune, February 23, 2012, by Cynthia Lambert. Full story
The California Supreme Court denied the review of a case brought against the Tulare County Board of Supervisors for holding 30 plus lunchtime meetings behind closed doors. Open government advocate State Senator Leland Yee immediately declared his intention to introduce a law to outlaw such meetings. The supervisors claimed the meetings were unofficial, for morale-building only. -db From the California Newspaper Publishers Association, February 21, 2012. Full story
A Costa Mesa councilwoman criticized fellow council members for texting during their meetings on the grounds that it could lead to violations of the state’s open meeting law, the Brown Act. The councilwoman said that with a smart phone, council members can view information that could influence their decisions without disclosing that information to the public. -db From the Voice of OC, February 9, 2012, by Nick Gerda. Full story
Debate over the use of iPads by city council members during meetings continues in Petaluma with no consensus as yet. Some say that it is invaluable in allowing members to gain access to documents, research information and eliminate volumes of paper. Others say that the public may think that the iPads are being used to send and receive messages pertaining to city business in violation of the state’s open meeting law, the Brown Act. -db
Under amendments to the Brown Act, California’s open meeting law, government agencies are now required to disclose more details about items under consideration at meetings. The amendments will go into effect, January 1 of 2012. The amendments also require agencies to provide notice in writing to the media of special meetings and notice by telephone in the case of emergency meetings. -db From the Ridgecrest Daily Independent, December 20, 2011, by Stephanie Forshee. Full story