Chapter 25-6 — ONGOING IMPROVED COMMUNICATION

The county shall cooperate with any voluntary effort by an interested and competent individual or organization to compile either a full text or partial database to the nonconfidential records it maintains, including those it creates and those it receives in the ordinary course of business. This shall include, to the extent permitted by law, providing the organization with any listing of the contents or titles of files which can be released without compromising the confidentiality of the contents of the files. The database shall be for the use of county officials, staff and the general public, and shall be organized to permit a general understanding of the types of public information maintained, by which officials and departments, for which purposes and for what periods of retention, and under what manner of organization for accessing, e.g., by reference to a name, a date, a proceeding or project, or some other referencing system. The database need not be in such detail as to identify files or records concerning a specific person, transaction or other event, but shall clearly indicate where and how records of that type are kept. Any such master database shall be reviewed by appropriate staff for accuracy and presented to the board of supervisors for formal adoption. Any changes in the county's practices or procedures that would affect the accuracy of the database shall thereafter be reported by the responsible staff to the board of supervisors as the basis for a corresponding revision of the database.

(Ord. No. 95-6)

(a)

There is established a task force to be known as the better government task force consisting of nine voting members appointed by the board of supervisors. Two members shall be appointed from individuals whose names have been submitted by the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, one of whom shall be an attorney and one of whom shall be a local journalist. One member shall be appointed from individuals whose names have been submitted by the Radio-Televisions News Directors Association. One member shall be appointed from individuals whose names have been submitted by the local chapter of the League of Women Voters. One member shall be a representative designated by the board of supervisors. Two members shall be members of the public who have demonstrated interest in or have experience in the issues of citizen access and participation in local government. Two members shall be county department heads nominated by the county administrator. The county counsel shall serve as legal advisor to the task force.

(b)

The term of each appointive member shall be two years unless earlier removed by the board of supervisors. In the event of such removal or in the event a vacancy otherwise occurs during the term of office of any appointive member, a successor shall be appointed for the unexpired term of the office vacated in a manner similar to that described herein for the initial members. The task force shall elect a chair from among its members. The term of office as chair shall be one year. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation.

(c)

The task force shall advise the board of supervisors and provide information to county departments on appropriate ways to implement this chapter. The task force shall recommend appropriate goals to ensure practical and timely implementation of this chapter. The task force may propose to the board of supervisors amendments to this chapter. The task force may report to the board of supervisors on any practical or policy problems encountered in the administration of this chapter.

(d)

The task force shall recommend to the board of supervisors an administrative process of review and enforcement for Division 25 which could be accomplished by the use of a volunteer ombudsman whose role would be to mediate and resolve disputes disagreements and conflicts that occur as a result of the enactment of this division. No such administrative review process shall preclude, delay or in any way limit a person's remedies under the Brown Act or the California Public Records Act.

(e)

Upon the conclusion of the administrative review process, as implemented pursuant to Section 25-6.204, any person may institute proceedings for injunctive relief or declarative relief or writ of mandate in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce the person's right to inspect or to receive a copy of any public record or class of public records under this division, or to enforce the person's right to attend any meeting required hereunder to be open, or to compel such meeting to be open.

(f)

The county shall pay reasonable court costs and attorney's fees to the plaintiff should the plaintiff prevail and the court order such fees to be paid. If the litigation is judged to be frivolous by the court, the county will assert its rights to be paid reasonable court costs and attorney's fees.

(Ord. No. 2024-23, § III(Exh. A), 12-3-24; Ord. No. 95-6)