Leading this week’s public meeting agendas is the Anaheim City Council’s discussion of the city’s records preservation policies, after Voice of OC revealed that city staff were threatened with “disciplinary action” if they did not destroy certain emails and correspondence.
The purge orders came days after Voice of OC filed a records request for email communications between city staff and council members. One of the purging directives referred to public records requests turning up documents that can be taken out of context and “damage our credibility.”
Top managers now plan on conducting training sessions on records retention during the next six months and are seeking the council’s permission to research the cost and consequences of extending email archives beyond the current 30 days.
At the county level, Board of Supervisors Chairman John Moorlach will present his “State of the County” address at Tuesday’s meeting. Moorlach has assumed the leadership position as the county prepares to negotiate new contracts with its three main employee unions, and the new chairman, who once called union officials “thugs”, is assuming a conciliatory tone.
County supervisors will also be asked to approve the final Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness, as well as policy recommendations for a year-round emergency homeless shelter. The county has faced criticism for its slow implementation of the homelessness plan, which took four years to organize.
Here’s a broader sampling of other items on this week’s agendas:
Orange County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, Jan. 24
• State of the County address by Chairman John Moorlach.
• Approval of the final Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness, and policy recommendations for a year-round emergency shelter.
• Hiring armed private security guards at John Wayne Airport for $766,000 over the next year.
• Approval of a concept plan for a regional park at the former Marine Corp Air Station in Tustin.
• Appointment of Frank Ospino as the county’s public defender.
• County CEO Tom Mauk agreeing to pay the full employee portion of his retirement contribution.
• Appointment of a member of the Board of Supervisors to the board of the CalOptima health care agency.
• Contract with Inyo County in east-central California for the provision of autopsies.
Closed Session
• Existing litigation: Scott Nelson v. Deborah A. Kwast, etc., et al.; Morrison Pump Company, Inc. v. SSC Construction, Inc., et al.
• Anticipated litigation: one unspecified case.
• Negotiations on future sale and purchase of various properties.
Anaheim City Council, Tuesday, Jan. 24
• Discussion of record management practices and policies.
• Waive compliance with the council’s competitive bid policy and approve a $1,766,500 contract with the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce to implement the Anaheim Enterprise Zone program.
• Acceptance of a $318,400 bid (plus sales tax) for jet fuel over the next year for the police department’s helicopter.
* Amendment to an economic assistance agreement for the GardenWalk Hotel Project.
Closed Session
• Discussion of city manager appointment.
• Existing litigation: Whitehouse v. The City of Anaheim, et al.
• Anticipated litigation: 36 unspecified cases.
Newport Beach City Council, Tuesday, Jan. 24
• Expanding the prohibition of smoking to within 100 feet of a park, park facility, or beach while located on public property.
• Approval of an agreement with the Irvine Co. to allow the firm an exception for storm water discharge into areas of special biological significance.
• Public hearing on the conversion of tennis areas at the Newport Beach Country Club into hotel rooms and increasing the size of the golf clubhouse.
• Adoption of a fire hazard severity map.
• Consulting contract for $99,500 to analyze services performed by the city refuse division.
Closed Session
• Existing litigation: City of Newport Beach v. Dennis Lee Holland, et. al.
• Labor negotiations with all labor associations: Association of Newport Beach Ocean Lifeguards; Lifeguard Management Association; Newport Beach Fire Management Association; Newport Beach Firefighters’ Association; Police Management Association; Police Employees’ Association; City Employees Association; Newport Beach Professional & Technical Employees Association; Newport Beach Employees League; and Newport Beach Part-Time Unit.
• Performance evaluation of the city clerk.
Santa Ana City Council, Special Closed Session, Tuesday, Jan. 24
• Labor negotiations with Santa Ana Police Officers Association; Santa Ana Police Management Association; Santa Ana Firemen’s Benevolent Association; Santa Ana Fire Management Association; Service Employees’ International Union; Confidential Association of Santa Ana; and Santa Ana Management Association.
• Labor negotiations with the city’s executive management.
• Discussion of city attorney appointment.