Right to Know Committee

In a victory for government transparency, a proposal put forward by Councilmember Frye and Deputy Mayor Atkins was passed by the full City Council on March 29, 2004. These new rules for conduct by the City Council included:

• Giving the public more information about the items coming before the Council in closed session
  
  
• Reporting the results of actions taken in closed session
  
  
• Giving the public an opportunity to directly address the City Council on any closed session item on the agenda
  
  
• Giving the Council an opportunity to discuss the basis for convening into closed session, ask questions and respond to questions from the public
  
  
• A transcription of all closed session meetings
  
  
• Making available to the Council and the public a weekly litigation log listing all litigation filed against or by the City

These changes to the open meeting rules of the City Council will help to reduce the many concerns about the noticing and conduct of the closed session meetings. Along with those changes, a Right to Know committee was established in order to look at the specific details dealing with the temporary rule of Council becoming a new permanent rule of Council.

Right to Know Committee Agenda

• June 23, 2004 (PDF:10K) 6:00 p.m.

Right to Know Committee Meeting Minutes

• June 23, 2004 (PDF:13K)
• June 16, 2004 (PDF:9K)
• May 27, 2004 (PDF:10K)

Right to Know Links

• Californians Aware
• California First Amendment Coalition

Other Documents

• Final Right to Know Ordinances (PDF: 2.33MB) - February 1, 2005
• Final Right to Know Committee Report (PDF: 622K) - July 23, 2004
• Open Government Charter Amendment (PDF: 98K) - May 13, 2004
• San Diego City Council Temporary Rule for Noticing and Conduct of Closed Session Meetings (PDF: 403K) - March 29, 2004
• San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial: Give Open Council Sessions a Chance (PDF: 111K) - March 26, 2004
• Closed Session Resolution (PDF: 158K) - March 22, 2004
• San Diego City Attorney: Proposed Temporary Rule of the City Council for Noticing and Conduct of Closed Sessions (PDF: 307K) - March 19, 2004
• Report on Brown Act and Closed Session by Deputy Mayor Atkins and Councilmember Frye (PDF: 1.23MB) - March 15, 2004
• PowerPoint Presentation On Open Meetings (PDF: 24.6MB) - March 15, 2004
• San Diego Business Journal Editorial: Taking a Stand for Openness - Hooray for Toni Atkins and Donna Frye - March 15, 2004
• San Diego Union-Tribune: Let the Sun Shine In On Government - March 9, 2004
• Memorandum by Deputy Mayor Atkins and Councilmember Frye Re: Brown Act Closed Session (PDF: 66K) - March March 8, 2004
• Senate Constitutional Amendment No.1 (PDF: 155K
)
• Right to Know Committee Holds First Meeting (PDF: 225K)