Agenda Item =
CITY OF YUCAIPA
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Cl-iris Mann, City Manager P4
Steven Pacifico Graham, City Attorney
FOR: City Council Meeting of March 13, 2023
SUBJECT: Discussion / Direction Regarding Sunshine Ordinance
RECOMMENDATION,
Based on the analysis below, the City Manager and City Attorney's Office recommend that the City Council hold a discussion and provide direction on enacting a Sunshine Ordinance BACKGOUND/DISCUSS:ION:
The City of Yucaipa values transparency and accountability in local government. However, there are currently no citywide policies in place to ensure that residents have access to information about city operations and decision -making processes. This sometimes leads to confusion and misinformation being spread instead of accurate information. The lack of transparency can also erode public trust in local government and hinder public participation in decision -making.
The California Public Records Act (CPRA) requires local agencies to make their records available to the public upon request. However, the CPRA does not require agencies to proactively disclose information. Additionally, the Brown .Act requires local agencies to hold open and public meetings, but it does not mandate that the meetings be broadcast or recorded.
To increase transparency and accountability in local government, the City Council could consider enacting a sunshine ordinance that goes above and beyond the minimum requirements under the CPRA and Brown Act. A sunshine ordinance is a local law that requires local agencies to disclose certain types of information proactively. Some of the provisions that the City Council could consider including in a sunshine ordinance are:
• Requiring that all labor MOUs and employinent contracts be posted online for public viewing; • Requiring that salary and benefits for Management, Supervisory and Confidential employees are clearly posted online for public viewing,
• Requiring all City Council approved contracts be posted online for public viewing; • Requiring that city council meetings be broadcast in video and posted online for public viewing;
• Requiring planning documents on a proposed project to be posted online for public viewing 551
not less than 10 days prior to a public hearing,
* Requiting that state mandated ethics trainings be conducted as prescribed by law and be open to the public;
+ Requiting that committees consisting of one or more members of the City Council meeting for the purpose of discussing potential changes to the General Plan and/or zoning be subject to the Brown Act;
• Requiring the City Manager to develop, maintain and execute a Communications Plan, with the goal of increasing stakeholder engagement and community understanding of City services, initiatives and resources.
A sunshine ordinance would increase transparency in local government and provide residents with greater access to information about city operations and decision -making processes. It would also promote public trust in local government and encourage public participation in decision -making.
The City Council of the City of Yucaipa has the authority to enact a sunshine ordinance to increase transparency and accountability in local govctnment. We reconunend that the City Council discuss the matter further and provide direction. Should the Council wish to proceed, a draft ordinance will be prepared and presented at a future meeting.
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