Title
Discuss and Provide Direction on the 2025 Annual Report, including Option for Form a Subcommittee
Body
To: Chair Miley and Members of the Open Government Commission
From: Lara Weisiger, City Clerk
BACKGROUND
Sunshine Ordinance Section 2-93.6 requires the Open Government Commission to draft an annual public report of alleged violations of the Sunshine Ordinance during the previous calendar year. The report must identify the nature of the violation, the relief sought, and the disposition and the location of records. In 2021, Sunshine Ordinance Section 2-93.2.c was amended and hearing decisions are now posted on the Commission’s website. All decisions can be accessed any time, rather than having to wait for the annual report.
Section 2-93.6 also provides the Commission may request a tally of records from the City Clerk with advanced notice. In 2021, the City implemented an online portal, called NextRequest, to track and respond to records requests. All records requests and responses, except those submitted to the Police Department, are now available online in the portal here: https://cityofalamedaca.nextrequest.com/requests
Alameda Municipal Code Section 2-22.4 outlines the duties of the Commission. Subsection 2-22.4.d, was amended in 2024 and now includes the following Commission duty: “From time to time as the Commission sees fit, issue public reports evaluating compliance with the Sunshine Ordinance by the City or any Department, Office, or Official thereof.”
Prior to 2021, staff drafted the annual report. In both 2021 and 2022, the Commission formed a subcommittee to draft the report. In 2023 and 2024, staff drafted the report.
DISCUSSION
This item was placed on the agenda to allow the Commission to discuss the 2025 annual report and provide direction on how to proceed. This year, there have not been any Sunshine Ordinance Complaint hearings. Options the Commission may decide to proceed with include:
Request Staff to Draft the Report: The Commission could ask staff to draft the annual report on complaints.
Subcommittee Formation: The Commission could form a subcommittee to draft the report.
Full Commission: The Commission could decide to have the full Commission draft the report. The matter would need to be placed on an agenda and drafting would be done publicly.
In addition to any of the above options, the Commission could also ask the City Clerk to provide a tally of records requests pursuant to Section 2-93.6. The Commission could request either a complete tally or only a tally of only Police requests.