The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has unanimously voted to adopt a transparency measure in an attempt to end the practice of creating ad hoc subcommittees with little public insight or knowledge.
The measure, introduced by Supervisor Joel Anderson, would require public meeting notices, advance agendas, recordings, minutes and public access to meeting materials through a centralized county website.
The policy would “also establish clear operational standards and accountability measures for all board-created ad hoc subcommittees,” a statement from Anderson said.
Based on an amendment by Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe, the policy will not require an ad hoc subcommittee to follow the state Brown Act if sensitive subject matter is involved.
On June 9, Anderson’s measure failed to advance. He and Jim Desmond voted in favor, while their colleagues Paloma Aguirre and Monica Montgomery Steppe were opposed. Chair Terra Lawson-Remer was absent from that meeting.
Montgomery Steppe raised concerns about possible public safety and privacy issues for some who appear at ad hoc subcommittee meetings, such as family members who spoke at one focusing on juvenile justice.
The supervisor described the board’s approval Thursday “as a step in the right direction.”
Before the vote, Montgomery Steppe said Anderson’s original measure was a “one-size-fits all policy” that would not allow her to provide a safe environment and do the work she was elected to do, and also have unintended consequences.
Anderson said he understood the need to protect the privacy of juveniles who might testify before such a committee — but without a better policy, the public will be shut out of decisions made by a minority of the board.
Most residents who spoke during public comment supported Anderson’s measure. One District 2 resident said government “earns public trust by operating in the open whenever possible.”
Anderson originally made the proposal in response to subcommittees having met “without publicly posted agendas, minutes or recordings,” despite influencing significant policy discussions, according to Anderson’s office.
For example, Lawson-Remer and Montgomery Steppe formed an ad hoc subcommittee in March after the board voted 4-1 to move forward on overhauling a program that serves residents who can’t afford insurance and don’t qualify for Medi-Cal.
The changes would entail adjusting eligibility standards, eliminating lien requirements and reviewing costs.
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