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Brentwood council directs staff to develop formal communication policy for meeting cancellations and critical incidents
Summary
Council members asked staff to develop a written policy for notifying council about canceled meetings and critical incidents, including timelines, methods and a police‑notification exception; staff will refine the draft with bargaining groups and return as soon as feasible.
Brentwood City Council members on Nov. 12 directed staff to develop a formal communication policy to standardize how council members are notified of canceled or changed meetings and qualifying critical incidents.
Council member Maloney and Vice Mayor Pearson presented a draft that would require meeting changes to be communicated at least 20 hours in advance when possible and critical‑incident notifications to be sent to council "as soon as reasonably possible" once initial facts are confirmed, preferably within the same business day. The draft sets methods of notification (email and calendar updates for routine changes; phone or text for urgent incidents) and a documentation requirement for the city clerk's office.
The draft includes an exception allowing the chief of police to notify council directly and immediately for urgent public‑safety incidents — including officer‑involved incidents — when circumstances require rapid council awareness. The policy also calls for retention of notification records, periodic annual review by the clerk and city manager's office, and a compliance mechanism that could prompt internal review if the policy is not followed.
City Manager Gerald Duffy and city attorney staff told the council parts of the draft may require meet‑and‑confer with bargaining groups, particularly any compliance and discipline provisions. City Attorney counsel said a reasonable earliest return to the council would likely be in January after required labor notifications; council members urged an expedited timeline and asked staff to parcel out immediate executive actions while labor‑sensitive elements follow the required processes.
Council member Maloney moved to dedicate staff resources to refine the communication policy and bring it back within a reasonable timeframe; the motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote. Council directed staff to work with legal and HR executives to separate items that require bargaining‑group notice and to prioritize implementation of administrative notifications that do not require bargaining action.
The item will return to the council for further consideration following staff review and any required meet‑and‑confer processes.
