Title
Report regarding a resolution approving the City Clerk's response to the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury Report, dated August 9, 2022, entitled "A Delicate Balance between Knowledge and Power: Government Transparency and the Public's Right to Know" and authorizing the City Clerk to send the response letter on behalf of the City Council. (Rosa Govea Acosta, City Clerk)
label
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council approve the responses and authorize the City Clerk to send the response letter to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of San Mateo County on behalf of the City.
Body
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The 2021-2022 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury ("Grand Jury") issued a report titled, "A Delicate Balance between Knowledge and Power: Government Transparency and the Public's Right to Know." The Grand Jury report deals with the issue of how cities in San Mateo County meet the requirements of inspection or disclosure of governmental records as required by the California Public Records Act.
The California Public Records Act (PRA) is an essential tool for the public to find out what their government agencies are doing. It's one of the freedom of information laws enacted in every state in the Union to ensure that the public can witness the actions of their governments. The PRA' s purpose is to promote government transparency in California.
Fifteen years ago, the 2006-2007 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury's report, "Electronic Communication Among City Officials: A Valuable Tool in Need of Careful Guidance," addressed the rise in local governments' use of electronic forms of communication between elected and appointed officials.1 As it observed, these valuable and efficient tools can quickly disseminate information, and they can constitute public documents subject to public disclosure. Reviewing that Grand Jury's report alerted the 2021-2022 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury to the potential that cities may be facing i...
Click here for full text