Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Open Meetings Law topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission receives Brown Act refresher from city attorney
Summary
City staff and the city attorney reviewed open-meeting rules including quorum, serial communications, social media guidance and penalties under the Ralph M. Brown Act; the presentation was informational and no action was taken.
The City of Roseville city attorney gave the Parks and Recreation Commission an informational refresher on the Ralph M. Brown Act at its March 3 meeting, reviewing open-meeting requirements, notice standards, limits on serial communications and the potential penalties for violations.
The presentation, given at the start of the meeting, outlined who the Brown Act covers and why public access and notice are fundamental. The attorney said the law ‘‘guarantee[s] the public's access to open meetings and to ensure public participation’’ and explained that a meeting occurs when a majority of a body gathers to hear, discuss, deliberate or take action on matters within its jurisdiction.
City staff emphasized several practical takeaways: a quorum is required for meetings (five of eight commissioners in this commission); agendas must provide a brief description of matters to allow meaningful public participation; notices for regular meetings must be posted at least 72 hours in advance; and electronic communications or a chain of individual contacts among a majority of commissioners can create a prohibited “serial meeting.” The attorney also advised staff practice of blind-copying commissioners on group emails to avoid inadvertent “reply all” exchanges that could be treated as a meeting.
The presentation addressed social media: commissioners may post information individually but should not ‘‘like, tweet, respond or otherwise interact’’ with posts by fellow commissioners in their official capacity, because those interactions can create an appearance of collective deliberation. The attorney warned that Brown Act violations can lead to civil or criminal penalties and may, in some cases, require invalidation of actions taken at improperly noticed meetings.
Commissioners asked whether virtual platforms such as Zoom would be treated the same; the attorney said the same meeting rules apply to virtual meetings and that a quorum is still required. The commission did not take any action on the Brown Act presentation; it was provided for guidance and education.
