The Rossmoor Community Services District website has a new “transparency” page, but frustrated residents have had a hard time finding the District board’s agenda package online.
Outgoing General Manger Henry Taboada is also frustrated. He said the problem is a technical one with the website itself and that the webmaster—located in the state of Washington—is waiting for a “module” that will make it easier for the public to access the RCSD agenda package.
He said some Rossmoor residents have contacted the district office to accuse district officials of violating the Brown Act.
Recently, the state legislature suspended portions of the Brown Act, a state law that promotes open government. Some California communities are complying with the public meeting law anyway, while others are not.
Taboada said the Rossmoor District is complying with the act. The problem, according to Taboada, is a technical one with the website itself.
He said that to comply with recent recommendations of the Orange County Grand Jury, the board had the website changed to include a “transparency” page.
Taboada provided a quick tutorial for navigating the Transparency page to find the agenda. Taboada said he found it difficult to find the agenda on the site.
If you visit www.rossmoor-csd.org, scroll down to a section labeled “Most Popular” and click on the icon for “Transparency.”
This will take you to a page with several icons and links on it, including a legislative update explaining the recent suspension of the Brown Act.
Locals who want to read the Rossmoor board’s agenda package need to click on the words “Agendas and Minutes.” This will take you to another webpage. On the upper left side of the page, in blue letters, you will find a “Document Library” and a folder below it labeled “Agendas and Minutes.”
Now click on the plus sign next to the folder. Four folders will appear. For the complete package, including staff reports, click on the plus sign next to the folder “Agenda Pkts.”
You will then see a list of PDF files. About halfway down the list you will find the most recent package, for the Tuesday, Aug. 14, board meeting.
“That’s just torture,” Taboada said.
He said the board had contacted the webmaster about the problem, only to be told that the webmaster is waiting for a software “module” to fix the problem.
Taboada said that, for the moment, the problem is out of the district’s hands.
“We never had this problem before we started to comply with the Grand Jury’s recommendations,” Taboada said.
In April, the Grand Jury issued “Let There Be Light: Dragging Special Districts From the Shadows.” In June, the Rossmoor Community Services District responded to the report, as required by state law.
“The Grand Jury’s Report concludes governments need to take additional steps to make information regarding salary, benefits and pension costs readily available to the public,” Taboada wrote.
“The District is in the process of revamping its website to ensure that compensation cost data is more easily accessible for a prominently displayed link on the home page,” Taboada wrote.
