Santa Clara oversight committee holds orientation on Brown Act, public records and Measure I bond process

The Santa Clara Measure I Bond Compliance Citizens Oversight Committee convened for an orientation meeting to review its duties overseeing the city's $400 million Measure I general obligation bond and to receive training on state open-meeting and public-records requirements, city officials and bond counsel said.

The orientation introduced committee members to procedural rules they must follow when discussing bond-related business and summarized the bond issuance process, including the city's plan to issue the authorized bonds in multiple series rather than all at once.

The committee was created by the voter-approved Measure I expenditure plan and is charged with informing the public about bond spending activities, reviewing project phases for consistency with the expenditure plan before City Council consideration, and reviewing annual audits that confirm bond proceeds were spent as promised. "You are entrusted with the responsibility of reviewing the expenditures to ensure that they align with the Measure I expenditure plan," Assistant City Manager Liz Klotz told the panel.

Glenn Guggins, the city attorney, led the training on the Brown Act and the California Public Records Act. Guggins said a core Brown Act principle is that "local legislative bodies . .…