Podcast: |
Monday, June 29, 2015
East County Magazine.org
The Ralph M. Brown Act, enacted in 1953, starts off with a declaration central to our idea of self‑government:
“The people of this State do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.”
If we are to “remain informed,” we need to watch carefully what local government agencies do. The Brown Act is intended to guarantee the right of the public to know what’s happening. There are very definite rules that government agencies must follow. Normally, they must meet on a regular schedule, but if there is a need for a meeting outside that normal schedule, special notices have to be provided.
Tonight, the Board of Directors of the Marina Coast Water District is holding a “Special Meeting,” pursuant to the Brown Act, including a closed session, and will decide whether or not to submit a comment letter on the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project Draft Environmental Impact Report. That could be a very important letter. Here’s the catch, the General Manager says if you want to know what is in the letter, you will have to come to the meeting in person. He doesn’t have it ready yet. Concerned listeners might consider going to that meeting.
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Former Santa Cruz County Supervisor Gary Patton talks about land use, and land use decisions, with an emphasis on public participation and how the land use process works.