Acting Idyllwild Water Board President John Cook has taken the initiative to solicit his colleagues’ agreement to meetings violating the Brown Act, California’s open government law. After the Thursday, Sept. 22 aborted meeting, Cook has written to directors Steve Kunkle and June Rockwell requesting the three directors attend “study sessions.” One of his objectives is…
Two propositions in the June 2014 primary election moved to the ballot with little organized opposition. Proposition 41 redirects some of already approved and unsold Cal Vet (home loan) bonds to create affordable rental housing for veterans; Proposition 42 makes it a constitutional mandate, not just a state law, that local governments follow the Brown…
Editor: When I read the letter regarding “No Brown Act violation” from Calvin Gogerty, the only thing that came to mind was that they obviously didn’t have Brown Act training, or if they did, they didn’t pay attention. In my eight years working for a special district, I’ve had the Brown Act training several times….
This is the first in a series of editorial articles explaining the major provisions of the Ralph M. Brown Act, California’s local-government open-meeting laws. This week’s article addresses some of the more basic questions and answers. The “Ralph M. Brown Act” is the official statutory name for California Government Code sections 54950 through 54963. These…
Over the years I have chastised numerous local boards for Brown Act violations. Every water district and the fire district have experienced it. Violations usually occur in the form of special meetings but the parties involved feel the Brown Act either doesn’t apply to them or that since they are volunteers in a small community,…
Two Idyllwild Fire groups committed numerous and parallel Brown Act violations on March 18, when both a quorum of commissioners and a quorum of the Finance Committee visited the dispatch command center in Perris. Multiple violations of both groups within this agency occurred because the meetings were neither noticed nor opened to the public. A…
