Late last month, the California legislature passed a bill suspending parts of the Ralph M. Brown Act. Seal Beach officials said the new rules would not change the way the city of Seal Beach handles the public’s business.
According to PublicCEO.com, a website that offers news of interest to California’s city and county officials, AB1464, which became law on June 27, suspended some sections of the Brown Act for three years.
The suspensions included:
• The requirement that agendas be posted at least 72 hours before a meeting with brief descriptions of the business to be discussed.
• The requirement that agendas include a brief description of the items to be discussed in closed session. According to some reports, the state expects to save $96 million during the next three years as a result of suspending these and other Brown Act provisions.
Asked if the suspension would change the way the City Council does business, Seal Beach City Clerk Linda Devine said, “No,” in an e-mail to the Sun. Asked how the change would impact the City Clerk’s Office, she said: “It will not have any impact.”
Seal Beach City Manager Jill Ingram also said the Brown Act suspension would have no impact on the way Seal Beach does its business. “Despite the loss of state funds to maintain compliance, the city of Seal Beach will continue to adhere to the spirit and letter of the Brown Act and implement all requirements to ensure transparent, open and responsive governance of and for our community.”
