Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/ralph-m-brown-act/page/2/)
The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) board of directors changed its public comment procedures without public notice or a vote by the entire board, which County Supervisor Todd Spitzer, who sits on the board, and others said could be a violation of California open meeting laws.
A staff proposal for a new Anaheim police review board appears to be moving toward selecting members as soon as spring 2018.
After an email blast to OC Superior Court judges last week – featuring a You Tube video of Todd Spitzer’s bizarre police interview following his erroneous citizens’ arrest of an evangelist – a Voice of OC open records lawsuit against the County of Orange was delayed until today.
In recent months, Orange County supervisors put tighter and tighter restrictions on speakers who try to address them at public board meetings. The ACLU’s letter is prompting county officials to consider possible policy changes.
This week, the nation celebrates Sunshine Week, an annual event recognizing the need for more open government and access to public records. Here in Orange County, Voice of OC marks the holiday in court. On Tuesday, a yearlong battle to get public records about a bizarre incident – involving a county supervisor, an evangelist, a gun and handcuffs – goes to trial.
A February cyber attack on Orange County Transportation Authority servers resulted in the total shutdown of email, voicemail and numerous other services. Officials kept the attack secret, which could be a violation of the state’s open meetings law.
The Orange County Water District’s Board of Directors has several committees that meet outside of public view. And several of them appear to be doing so illegally, according to open government expert Terry Francke.
The Garden Grove City Council is likely to approve an audit of a controversial job created for its former fire chief David Barlag, after an abrupt change of heart by two council members who had opposed the audit.
Council members violated the law by meeting secretly to approve a costly lobbying contract, according to open government advocates. While not admitting wrongdoing, the council promised Monday to not break the law in the future.
Shadowy ghost governments, operating with little oversight and unknown to the public, exist right here in Orange County. The Orange County Water District is the poster child.