Title
Accept the Annual Public Report and Report Concerning Responses to Public Records Act Requests Referred to the City Attorney's Office in 2019
Body
To: Chair Schwartz and Members of the Open Government Commission
From: Yibin Shen, City Attorney
Michael Roush, Chief Assistant City Attorney
Summary
The Sunshine Ordinance provides that the Open Government Commission is to prepare an Annual Public Report to be placed on the City's website of alleged violations of the Ordinance brought to the attention of the Commission during the previous calendar year and the disposition thereof. In 2019, there were two complaints alleging violations of the Ordinance, both of which were sustained. A draft Annual Public Report is attached. In addition, the Commission has requested a report concerning responses to Public Records Act requests that were referred to the City Attorney's Office in 2019. That report (spreadsheet) is also attached.
Background
Section 2-93.6 of the Sunshine Ordinance provides the Open Government Commission shall prepare an Annual Public Report to be placed on the City's website and made generally available in printed form of alleged violations of the Sunshine Ordinance brought to the attention of the Commission in the previous calendar year. The Report is to identify the nature of the alleged violation, the relief sought, the disposition thereof and the location of all records relevant to the violation. In 2019, because of concerns that requests to Public Records Act requests were not being responded to in a timely fashion, the Commission requested a report that would show data concerning such requests and the timing of the responses.
Discussion
A. Annual Public Report
During 2019, there were two complaints alleging violations of the Ordinance. One complaint alleged that a City Council agenda description did not adequately inform the general public of the nature of the action that was before the Council. The relief requ...
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