TO: Napa County Housing Commission
FROM: Jason Dooley, Deputy County Counsel
REPORT BY: Jason Dooley, Deputy County Counsel
SUBJECT: Presentation on Brown Act
RECOMMENDATION
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Commission Counsel to provide overview of the Ralph M. Brown Act and how it applies to the Napa County Housing Commission.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Commission Counsel to provide overview of the Ralph M. Brown Act and how it applies to the Napa County Housing Commission
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
THE BASICS
Meetings of public bodies must be "open and public," actions may not be secret, and action taken in violation of open meetings laws may be voided. (?? 54953(a), 54953(c), 54960.1(d))
WHO'S COVERED
? Local agencies, including counties, cities, school districts and special districts. (? 54951)
? "Legislative bodies" of each agency--the agency's governing body plus "covered boards," that is, any board, commission, committee, task force or other advisory body created by the agency, whether permanent or temporary. (? 54952(b))
? Any standing committee of a covered board, regardless of number of members. (? 54952(b))
? Governing Bodies of Non-profit corporations formed by a public agency or which includes a member of a covered board and receives public money from that board. (? 54952(c))
WHO'S NOT COVERED
? Ad hoc advisory committees consisting of less than a quorum of the covered board (? 54952(b)); most other non-profit corporations.
? All other government agencies or individual officials or decisionmakers. State governmental agencies are covered by the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act. (Govt. Code ?? 11120-11132)
WHAT'S COVERED
A "meeting" is any gathering of a majority of the members of a covered board to hear, discuss, or deliberate on matters within the agency's or board's j...
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