Companion articles:
Brown Act violations – A letter to our City Attorney. Detailed, about 20 minutes to read.
The Brown Act violations as present in Arcata. More than 20 articles and letters.
Calling it a “Special Meeting” does not make it a Special Meeting, Part 1 and Part 2
The presentation on the Ralph M. Brown Act, from the December 6, 2023, Arcata City Council meeting. By City Attorney Doug White and associate attorney Nubia Goldstein. With questions and discussion from the City Council members and comments from members of the public. 1 hour 10 minutes.
Of particular importance
These items are on the slides from the presentation. Highlights added.
- Agenda Items:
Each item should contain enough description to adequately inform the public about the item to be discussed (so they can attend or comment if interested).
The “agenda” describing the items to be discussed at the meeting is different from the “agenda packet” (which includes all related documentation). - Example of inadequate agenda descriptions.
- Purpose of the Brown Act:
Public decisionmakers should deliberate and take actions as though they are in a “glass house” — fully transparent.
The Brown Act ensures meaningful public access to and participation in local government decisions. - Types of Penalties for Brown Act Violation: Damage to reputation and public perception.
You can watch or listen to the presentation by starting the YouTube video here. After starting the video, you can either watch the video or scroll down to see the slides from the presentation. In the actual presentation, some slides where skipped or viewed very quickly. You may find it easier to read the contents of the slides by viewing them on this webpage rather than trying to read them on the video.
Below is the full set of presentation slides. These have been modified from the original: Each slide has been cropped, to make the print larger and easier to read, and the diagonal stripes have been removed.
(Larger views of the above slide)
For archival purposes, here is the original slide presentation.
The presentation on the City Council Protocol Manual