pages: OpenGovernmentCommission/2022-01-11.pdf, 3
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OpenGovernmentCommission | 2022-01-11 | 3 | good to have a historical document that talks about open government and democracy, especially now; it does not have to be as detailed as an encyclopedia; people forget the importance of open government and we are seeing the destruction of voting rights in this Country; people do not really appreciate what it entails to have a legitimate democracy and what should be expected from elected officials; she would like to see the City allocate resources to the development of a document that allows people to see the background behind the whole series of open government and Sunshine Ordinances that were passed 10 to 15 years ago and why local communities may be the last place where democracy is still practiced; it is really important that people have a healthy respect for open government, what it means and how they can practice it themselves. Vice Chair LoPilato stated it is a great goal, but she is concerned that it is too big of an ask to include in this inaugural report in terms of staff allocation and financial resources; an alternative could be a staff/Commission partnership could prepare the report which can then be publicized on City channels; the alternative could soften the ask if the Commission is willing to take on some of the labor. Commissioner Cambra stated that he would like a little more clarification regarding the document; questioned if the intent would be that the memory of the decisions made by the Open Government Commission (OGC) would create precedent; he understands that it does not address the over-arching issue of democracy, but also wonders if creating a report every year would add to the continuity of the OGC. Commissioner Chen stated Commissioner Cambra just took her down a different path on how the Commission adjudicates all the different cases; the Commission has no idea of how previous cases were adjudicated, which seems like a case law issue. Chair Tilos inquired whether the Commission should have knowledge of previous cases or come in with a fresh set of eyes. Commissioner Cambra responded that he thinks continuity in the decision-making process is important so the public understands when they come before the OGC with a complaint factually similar to a previous one, the Commission will not come to a completely different decision; he does not want to use the word "precedent" as it is a legal term; the term "guided by" may be more appropriate. In response to Chair Tilos's inquiry, the City Clerk part of the recent Sunshine Ordinance changes require all of the decisions made by the Commission be posted online; the information is posted on the City's OGC website. Commissioner Montgomery stated her thoughts are as the times and days change, the Commission's ideas will change as well; she is uncertain about using past decisions as a precedent to base decisions on; she is not totally against the suggestion as worded in the report. Vice Chair LoPilato stated past decisions of the OGC are also accessible to anyone in Meeting of the Open Government Commission January 11, 2022 3 | OpenGovernmentCommission/2022-01-11.pdf |