Public commenters press for transparency; OCC reports caseload changes

During the general public comment period the commission heard repeated requests for greater transparency and better public access to records. Ray Hartz of the San Francisco Open Government Coalition told the commission he had previously brought the department and the commission before the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force for failing to maintain an accessible index of records; he cited a 2003 OCC report alleging withholding of information and urged the commission to make records easier for citizens to search.

Other public commenters raised individual complaints about OCC processes and expressed frustration with case aging and the limits of mediation (arguing that mediation can cut off further remedies). Several speakers also offered unusual, unverified allegations (e.g., claims about "directed energy weapons"). These allegations were recorded by the commission and the speakers were advised to follow up with OCC and law enforcement for investigation; the commission did not substantiate those allegations at the meeting.

Separately, OCC Director Joyce Hicks delivered the office's statistical report: as of the report date OCC had opened 576 cases and closed 544 (a net increase of 34 cases), with 413 pending cases; the OCC sustained 45 cases during the same period (an increase from 30 in the same period the prior year). Director Hicks also reported mediations are increasing and provided July/August mediation counts. Commissioner and public questions focused on the age of cases and whether closures sometimes reflect older matters being finalized rather than recent work. Director Hicks said the OCC is seeing fewer openings than the previous year but called attention to increased pending cases and sustaining rate. The commission asked for additional detail to address concerns about aging and process.