RWG Report and Recommendations
Proposed Implementation Plan
September 20, 2022
Background
On July 5, 2022, Richards, Watson, & Gershon (RWG) presented an independent review of the City’s handling of the Moore-Field litigation.
The review also presented recommendations that may have reduced the City’s expenses and improved transparency.
On August 2, 2022, City Council requested staff to review three of those recommendations and return with a plan to implement them.
CAO will provide all required training (see the next slide) that will also be supplemented with training from the City Manager, Clerk, and Treasurer regarding their respective roles and resources.
Required trainings will begin in January and continue through 2023.
After this year, trainings will continue biennially, immediately following each election year to ensure newly elected officials receive a strong working knowledge of the City at the beginning of their terms.
Recommendation #1:
City Attorney’s Office (CAO) should provide training to City Council regarding their respective roles as attorney and client, as well as on the resources of the CAO.
Implementation:
REQUIRED TRAININGS
TIMELINE
Charter Office Roles and Responsibilities vis-vis City Council City Attorney
City Clerk
City Treasurer
City Manager
January
City Charter
January
Brown Act
January
Municipal Code
February
California Public Records Act
February
Code of Ethics
February
Administrative Regulations
(directly applicable to City Council business)
March
Political Reform Act (FPPC, Form 700)
March
Collective Bargaining
March
Election Activities Guidelines
June
Sexual Harassment Prevention
w/i 3 months of starting with City
AB 1234
w/i 3 months of starting with City
SUPPLEMENTAL TRAININGS
TIMELINE
Rosenberg’s or Robert’s Rules of Order
December
Onboarding for Newly Elected Officials
(led by the City Manager’s Office with support from the CAO) December
City Council Rules of Order and Procedure
(led by the City Manager’s Office with support from the CAO) December
Common Legal Matters Brought to Council
February
Administrative Regulations (all others)
(led by the City Manager’s Office with support from the CAO) March
Incident Command System (ICS) Training
April
Cybersecurity
(led by Administrative Services – IS Division)
May
The City Attorney will commission independent counsel from the CAO’s newly procured panel of law firms to analyze and make recommendations regarding these potential violations of the Government Code sections.
The independent counsel will work with the City Attorney and the City Manager to implement this recommendation.
Recommendation #2:
Determine if the City should take actions concerning potential violations of California Government Code Sections 87407 and 1090 by former employee Brian Williams.
Implementation:
The City Attorney will commission independent counsel from the CAO’s newly procured panel to review the appropriateness of Greenberg Gross’ fees, as well as payments made by the City to the firm.
If appropriate, the panel will make recommendations to seek reimbursement of those fees.
The independent counsel will work with the City Attorney and the City Manager to implement this recommendation. In the event that independent counsel recommends legal action, there will be direct consultation with the City Council, City Attorney, City Manager in Closed Session.
Recommendation #3:
Evaluate the possibility of seeking reimbursement for some or all payments made to Greenberg Gross, following Brian Williams’ employment with that firm. This should include payment for researching conflict of interest and travel expenses.
Implementation:
RWG Report and Recommendations
Proposed Implementation Plan
September 20, 2022