HomeMy WebLinkAbout72-23 - Urging Legislature to Govern Themselves with Anti-Secrecy PrinciplesRESOLUTION NO. 72-23
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COSTA MESA,
CALIFORNIA, URGING THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
TO GOVERN THEMSELVES IN CONFORMITY WITH ANTI -SECRECY PRINCIPLES,
IN THE CONDUCT OF ALL OF THEIR BUSINESS AS HAS BEEN REQUIRED
OF LOCAL AGENCIES AND STATE AGENCIES, AND STATING THE REASONS
THEREFOR.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY
RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
WHEREAS, Local agencies which include cities, counties, school
districts, and boards and commissions thereof, are required to, with
few exceptions, conduct their business in a manner open to the general
public and press, pursuant to Title 4, Division 2, Part 1, Chapter 9,
Sections 54950 through and including 54960, California Government Code,
popularly known as the "Ralph M. Brown Act"; and
WHEREAS, State agencies including every state board or commission
are required to conduct their business in a meeting open to the public
and press, pursuant to Title 2, Division 3, Part 1, Chapter 1, Article 9,
Sections 11120 through and including 11131, California Government Code; and
WHEREAS, Article 4, Section 6, sub -section (c) of the California
Constitution provides that all meetings of the Legislature must be held
in public unless in the exclusive opinion of the Legislature, secrecy is
required; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature exists solely for the purpose of aiding
in the conduct of people's business, and to express the laws by which
the people wish to be governed; and J
WHEREAS, the people of this State have not and will not surrender
to their Legislators the right to decide what is good for the people to
know and what is not good for them to know; and
WHEREAS, the people of this State insist upon remaining informed
so that they may retain control over the Legislature of this State, in
the conduct of the people's business for which they were elected.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, as follows:
1. That the members of the Assembly and the members of the Senate
of the Legislature for the State of California voluntarily impose upon
themselves a policy of holding all general sessions, interim committee
meetings, standing committee meetings, and other meetings open to the
press and public in all instances.
2. That the exception from this policy should be no more than the
exceptions allowed for local agencies and State agencies.
3. That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Senator Carpenter,
Assemblyman Burke, Assemblyman Badham and the Chairmen of the appropriate
committees of both Senate and Assembly on rules.
4. That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to each of the other
25 cities in the County of Orange, with the request that a similar
resolution be adopted.
5. That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Chairman of
the Resolutions Committee for the League of California Cities, with the
request that a similar resolution be adopted by that body.
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6. That this resolution be made a part of the permanent records
of the City of Costa Mesa.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 6th day of March, 1972. '/`may
,/,?P
LMayor of the City o� Mei' eia
ATTEST:
City Clerk of the City of Costa 6pa
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) SS
CITY OF COSTA MESA )
I, EILEEN P. PHINNEY, City Clerk of the City of Costa Mesa and
ex -officio Clerk of the City Council of the City of Costa Mesa, hereby
certify that the above and foregoing Resolution No. 72-23 was duly and
regularly passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Costa
Mesa at a regular meeting thereof held on the 6th day of March, 1972.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the
Seal of the City of Costa Mesa this 7th day of March, 1972.
� �,
City Clerk and ex -officio Cler} of the
City Council of the City of C( to Mesa