Date: April 28, 2016
OCDA CLOSES MATTER INTO BROWN ACT VIOLATIONS BY GARDEN GROVE CITY COUNCIL AFTER ALL RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED
SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) has closed the matter into the Ralph M. Brown Act violations by the City Council for the City of Garden Grove after all recommendations were adopted at the April 26, 2016, city council meeting.
On Feb. 24, 2016, after an extensive and thorough investigation into Brown Act violations allegations by Garden Grove City Council, the OCDA published a letter containing the investigation findings and legal conclusions. In that letter, four recommendations were made:
1. To record any and all future closed session meetings for a period of at least two years, effective immediately, in accordance with the provisions of Government Code section 54690;
2. If a new employment position is created in the future by the Garden Grove City Council, the City Council commits to disclose the creation of the new position in public before filling the position;
3. The Garden Grove City Council commits to refrain from relying on the ‘pending litigation’ exception, provided for in Government Code Section 54956.9, to create a new City position in closed session, without reporting this action immediately at the conclusion of the closed session meeting; and
4. The City audits the work and performance of the newly created “Public Safety Administrative Officer” to assure the public that the position is not a “no show” job.
In the interest of public transparency, the City Council has adopted all four of the above recommendations. The OCDA, having previously closed its inquiry into the violations with the published letter, now closes the matter entirely in light of the City Council’s decision.
The full letter, “OCDA Report – Allegations of Brown Act Violations,” is available at www.orangecountyda.org by selecting Reports under the Reports pull-down menu.