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Board considers limited IG subpoena and investigatory authority with majority‑vote checks
Summary
Members discussed authorizing the Inspector General to investigate evidence and, with a majority board vote, exercise subpoena power to obtain documents or testimony for ethics complaints; the City Attorney's Office said it will research legal limits and Brown Act implications.
The board discussed whether the Inspector General should be authorized to investigate evidence and, with board approval, exercise subpoena authority to obtain documents or testimony not provided voluntarily. The Vice Chair framed majority approval as a safeguard against unilateral use of investigatory power.
"Whether the Inspector General should be able to exercise subpoena authority with approval from a majority of the board," the Vice Chair said, noting that such authority could "promote accountability and equitable access to relevant information." Committee members said majority approval would check misuse; the City Attorney's Office said it would research governance and Brown Act constraints and report back.
Members noted practical benefits of IG involvement, such as access to investigative resources and subpoena tools that the board itself lacks. No changes to practice were approved at the meeting; the board requested legal research on the scope of IG subpoena power and a clearer procedural proposal for how IG investigations would be authorized and constrained.
