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New district counsel gives Brown Act refresher to Los Olivos board
Summary
At its Feb. 12 meeting the Los Olivos Community Services District heard a Brown Act overview from recently introduced counsel Martin Kazanovich, who reviewed open‑meeting rules, serial‑meeting prohibitions and social‑media guidance for directors.
Martin Kazanovich, the district’s newly introduced legal counsel, delivered a detailed Brown Act refresher to the Los Olivos Community Services District on Feb. 12 as the board opened its regular meeting. Kazanovich reviewed what constitutes a meeting, the requirement that publicly noticed agendas be posted before action, and the prohibition on serial or ‘hub‑and‑spoke’ communications that result in a quorum deliberating outside an agendized session.
The counsel emphasized how communications on social media and chain emails can trigger Brown Act obligations and cited a court case where a public official’s brief blocking of a constituent on Facebook was treated as using the account as a public forum. “Outside of an open publicly noticed meeting, a quorum of the legislative body may not meet and consult or discuss district business,” Kazanovich said during his remarks. He also reviewed possible remedies for violations — including do‑overs, nullification of actions and, in intentional cases, potential penalties — and answered directors’ questions about recent legislative changes and the temporary extension of remote‑meeting permissions.
Board members thanked Kazanovich and used the Q&A to clarify how the rules apply to posting materials and to interactions with constituents. Directors asked specifically about the continuing effect of 2020 changes to online communications and the status of a pending bill to extend remote meeting allowances; counsel said he was not aware of substantive new restrictions since 2020 but noted a pending bill to extend certain remote‑attendance provisions. The board agreed to keep Brown Act guidance in mind while preparing spreadsheets and shared documents ahead of future meetings.
