LBReport.com

Editorial

City Hall Is Concealing Its Animal Shelter Report So Public (And Press) Can't Study It Before "Study Session"; Here's What To Do About It


If LBREPORT.com didn't tell you,
who would?
No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report.

LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. Support independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.
(April 11, 2019, 12:00 noon) -- Long Beach city management has scheduled what it describes as a "study session" for 3:30 p.m. April 16 "to receive and file a presentation on the City’s Animal Care Services."

We are very concerned that it may turn out to be a "non-study-session" because as of noon Thursday April 11, the information to be studied isn't online for the public to study. No written report. No Power Point slides. Nothing.

That's not acceptable to us as a media outlet and it shouldn't be acceptable to taxpaying LB animal advocates, regardless of their individual positions on the issue.

[Scroll down for further.]

LBREPORT.com believes LB animal advocates, regardless of whatever differences there may be between them, should email their elected Councilmembers and politely but firmly state that it's unacceptable for city staff to conceal study session materials to be studied at the study session. We recommend that Councilmembers (who are elected to represent the public) to ask City Manager West (who works for the City Council) to have his subordinate staff (who work for Mr. West) to put the study session materials online for the public without further delay. (If you wish, feel free to share with us what response(s) you receive at (mail@LBReport.com) (which may be newsworthy.)

That's our preferred remedy, although there may be a poorer remedy in CA's Brown Act, which states in part that:

CA Gov't Code section 54957.5:

(a) Notwithstanding Section 6255 [an exception to Public Records Act release] or any other law, agendas of public meetings and any other writings, when distributed to all, or a majority of all, of the members of a legislative body of a local agency by any person in connection with a matter subject to discussion or consideration at an open meeting of the body, are disclosable public records under the California Public Records Act...and shall be made available upon request without delay. However, this section shall not include any writing exempt from public disclosure under Section 6253.5, 6254, 6254.3, 6254.7, 6254.15, 6254.16, 6254.22, or 6254.26.

(b)(1): If a writing that is a public record under subdivision (a), and that relates to an agenda item for an open session of a regular meeting of the legislative body of a local agency, is distributed less than 72 hours prior to that meeting, the writing shall be made available for public inspection pursuant to paragraph (2) at the time the writing is distributed to all, or a majority of all, of the members of the body.

We note that paragraph (a) only requires release of the writings "without delay"...which City Hall might still try to delay until after the "study session." The City may also try to avoid the more specific language of paragraph (b)(1) by noting it applies to "regular meetings" of the City Council and the "study session" is a "special meeting."

This shouldn't be about statutory legalisms. The truth is there's absolutely no legal reason why materials for a Long Beach City Council public study session shouldn't be put online for the public immediately.

This is ultimately about respect for taxpayers, transparency and openness in Long Beach. We regret that hiding study session materials to be studied has become standard procedure. City management may find it more convenient to prevent the public and perhaps Councilmembers from studying materials to be studied, minimizing the likelihood of point by point challenges to management's contentions.

If the April 16 "study session" on LB's animal shelter is to be a legitimate, and not an illegitimate "non-study session," city management should upload the materials to be studied for public (and press) review without further delay.


Opinions expressed by LBREPORT.com, our contributors and/or our readers are not necessarily those of our advertisers. We welcome our readers' comments/opinions 24/7 via Disqus, Facebook and moderate length letters and longer-form op-ed pieces submitted to us at mail@LBReport.com.

Sponsor

Sponsor

Sponsor


Sponsor

Sponsor


Sponsor

Sponsor


Support really independent news in Long Beach. No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report. LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. You can help keep really independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.


blog comments powered by Disqus

Recommend LBREPORT.com to your Facebook friends:


Follow LBReport.com with:

Twitter

Facebook

RSS

Return To Front Page

Contact us: mail@LBReport.com



Adoptable pet of the week:





Carter Wood Floors
Hardwood Floor Specialists
Call (562) 422-2800 or (714) 836-7050


Copyright © 2018 LBReport.com, LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of Use/Legal policy, click here. Privacy Policy, click here