Brad Malamud, San Clemente
The City Manager meets individually with City Council members within 48 hours of Council meetings. When asked for documents related to these meetings, the city refuses to provide them invoking a little-known “Deliberative Process Privilege.” This privilege is invoked so that the thoughts of our City Council are not known (to allow unfettered deliberation). We are not told what is discussed.
These meetings are contrary to the intent and purpose of the Brown Act Open Meeting Law. The City Attorney’s law firm presentation states these “Hub and Spoke” meetings are illegal. Yet the City Attorney defiantly claims these meetings are legal. Legal or not, these meetings must cease. If the City has nothing to hide, why is it hiding behind the deliberative process privilege?
Council should approve a Sunshine Ordinance for Open Government. San Francisco and other cities adopted Sunshine ordinances years ago. If Council refuses to do so, we should elect Council members who will.
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