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San Diego supervisors unanimously require more transparency for ad hoc subcommittees
Summary
The Board voted to require public notice and public access measures for ad hoc subcommittees, including requiring subcommittees to notify the board and making consultant and purchasing information available to the public.
Supervisor Andrew Anderson proposed narrowing and clarifying Board policy A74 to improve public access to ad hoc subcommittees and subcommittee meetings. “I want to simply bring more transparency to these meetings,” Anderson said as he introduced language that would require presentations to be streamed live, recorded and posted so the public can view them in real time and following the meeting.
The proposal prompted an immediate question from Supervisor Desmond, who urged removing any delegated purchasing or contracting authority for ad hoc subcommittees and requiring full board approval for such actions. The board debated whether authority limits belonged in a transparency measure or should be handled separately; members settled on a compromise that preserves the focus on transparency while ensuring the board and the public are notified whenever an ad hoc subcommittee engages in purchasing or contracting.
Under the amendment the county will make consultant information and related costs public and notify the full board of any contracting activities by ad hoc subcommittees. Board staff characterized the change as procedural: the language adopted requires notification and increased public access rather than creating an automatic prohibition on delegated authority.
The motion, introduced by Supervisor Anderson and seconded at the dais, passed unanimously with all supervisors present voting yes.
The change affects how advisory subgroups operate going forward: recordings and presentations must be accessible and the public and board will be alerted when a subcommittee takes purchasing or contracting steps. Staff told the board the policy change is intended to avoid over‑defining what constitutes a meeting while ensuring accessibility for substantive presentations.
The board recorded the action as a formal amendment to A74; staff will update implementing guidance and post instructions for the public on how to view subcommittee materials and recordings online.
