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City attorney letter: Seaside commissioners may list service on resumes; AB 1286 expands Form 700 disclosures
Summary
City Attorney Sherry Damon advised Seaside commissioners they may list volunteer commission service on resumes and bullet-point accomplishments if described accurately; she also noted AB 1286 requires disclosure of arrangements for prospective employment on Form 700 and that the form had not been updated yet on the FPPC website.
Chair Benjamin Strickland read a November 21 letter from City Attorney Sherry Damon that addressed commissioners' questions about listing commission service and outside employment disclosures.
The letter said commissioners who serve "solely in an advisory nature" may list commission service in the activity or volunteer section of a resume, provided the listing is factual and does not exaggerate formal authority. The attorney advised that commissioners may list leadership roles or subcommittee accomplishments as bullet points only if framed to emphasize collaboration and accuracy. The letter gave the example of properly describing service as "Chair, Seaside Homeless Commission 2024–2025".
The letter also summarized recent legal changes, noting AB 1286 amended the Political Reform Act to require additional disclosures of arrangements for prospective employment on statements filed under the act (Form 700). The attorney said the FPPC had not yet updated the Form 700 on its website to reflect the change and encouraged commissioners to be mindful of transparency rules, avoid using their appointment for personal gain and disclose roles accurately when acting outside their official capacity.
The guidance was read during commissioner reports and the chair offered to arrange ethics training and resources. The commission did not take a policy vote on this guidance; it was presented as informational direction for commissioners.
