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Avalon council approves unconditional commitment letter to address Brown Act complaint
Summary
Avalon City Council authorized an "unconditional commitment" letter to respond to a May 29 demand alleging Brown Act violations; city counsel said the city denies the violations but the letter would preclude litigation. The motion passed 4–0 with one member absent.
Avalon’s City Council on June 25 authorized the mayor to have the city attorney prepare an "unconditional commitment" letter responding to a May 29 demand that alleges the city violated the Brown Act by holding seven closed sessions.
Scott Campbell, introduced during the meeting and speaking as counsel, told the council the city "vehemently denies" that breaches occurred but said the unconditional commitment letter would state the city will abide by the Brown Act going forward and, if adopted, could preclude a lawsuit over the alleged violations. "And so you're really saving the city, money by adopting this unconditional commitment letter," Campbell said.
Council members asked whether the letter would fully resolve the dispute or simply invite further correspondence; Campbell said there may be additional exchanges but explained the Brown Act cure procedure and noted the city is taking the step mainly to avoid potential litigation. The council opened the item for public comment and offered a remote connection to the complainant, Lance Ware, but Ware did not appear.
A council member moved to authorize the city attorney to prepare the unconditional commitment letter; the motion was seconded and the clerk recorded the vote as 4 ayes, 1 absent. The action was limited to preparing and authorizing the letter; no funding or other policy changes were adopted at the meeting.
Next steps: staff will prepare the letter for the mayor’s signature and file it as described at the meeting. Any further legal correspondence or filings would be reflected in future council records.
