HomeMy WebLinkAbout65B - PROPOSED SUNSHINE ORDINANE REGULATIONSREQUEST FOR
COUNCIL ACTION
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE:
JULY 2, 2012
TITLE:
DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED SUNSHINE
REGULATIONS
CITY MANAGER
RECOMMENDED ACTION
CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY:
APPROVED
? As Recommended
? As Amended
? Ordinance on I" Reading
? Ordinance on 2nd Reading
? Implementing Resolution
? Set Public Hearing For_
CONTINUED TO
FILE NUMBER
Provide direction to staff regarding proposed Sunshine regulations.
DISCUSSION
The Code of Conduct and Ethics Council Committee, consisting of Council Members Sarmiento
and Tinajero, held a Special Meeting on June 14, 2012 to consider a set of policies presented by
the SACReD and OCCORD community coalitions ("Citizens Groups"). The Citizens Group
proposes that the policies drive the development of an ordinance to be called the Sunshine
Ordinance. Staff analyzed and presented the Committee with the legal and practical implications
of establishing such an ordinance based on the proposed policies. The Council Committee
recommended that staff provide the City Council with an update and solicit further direction
concerning the preparation of a Sunshine Ordinance.
Staff has participated in several meetings with representatives of the Citizen Group to discuss the
board policy goals as follows:
Establish Pre-Application Meeting and Hearing Requirements for Development
Projects;
2. Provide Earlier Notification/Release of Agendas for Council/Commission meetings;
3. Develop Process to Include Community Experts in RFP/RFQ Selection Panels;
4. Establish Budget Outreach Hearings by Wards
5. Provide Public Access to Calendars of all Elected and Appointed Officials
6. Establish Lobbyist Registration and Disclosure Requirements
In addition, staff has suggested that a Sunshine Ordinance should include more typical
transparency provisions promoted and adopted throughout the state, including among other
things, protocols on how public information should be collected, saved and disseminated in
addition to requiring extensive training and education on the Brown Act and handling of public
information requests under the Public Records Act.
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Discussion of Proposed
Sunshine Regulations
July 2, 2012
Page 2 of 2
FISCAL IMPACT
Costs related to preparation of a Sunshine Ordinance are negligible and will be covered within the
City's current budget. However, implementation of the policy goals described above could, in a
number of cases, present significant fiscal impacts as implementation would require new staff to
develop new processes and applications and enforce the regulations.
i
onia R. Carvalho,
City Attorney
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