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Earlier editions: 2026-09

Title 4 — ETHICS AND OPEN GOVERNMENT

Sacramento Municipal Code Ch. 4.04 Transparent Government and Public Engagement

Sacramento Municipal Code · 2026-10 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · Sacramento

Cite as: Sacramento Municipal Code Chapter 4.04 · Text as of 2026-10-04

4.04.010 Short title.

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Sacramento Sunshine Ordinance." (Ord. 2017-0024 § 3)

Exceptions & meaning →

4.04.020 Minimum posting of council agenda materials.

A. The city clerk shall post the agenda of each regular or adjourned regular meeting of a city legislative body (as that term is defined in Government Code section 54952) at least 120 hours in advance of the meeting in a location that is freely accessible to members of the public as required by the Ralph M. Brown Act.

B. All agreements requiring council approval must be posted on the city's website and be made available to the public prior to council action unless determined otherwise by the city attorney.

C. Unless waived by two-thirds vote of council, all labor agreements and all agreements greater than $1,000,000 must be posted on the city's website and be made available to the public at least 10 days prior to council action. (Ord. 2017-0024 § 3)

Exceptions & meaning →

4.04.030 Records of city council actions.

A. The city clerk shall, within a reasonable time and for each city legislative body (as that term is defined in Government Code section 54952), provide public access to all meeting records, including agendas, reports and supplemental material, action minutes, proposed and adopted ordinances, proposed and adopted resolutions, and other meeting correspondence.

B. Whenever practicable, the city clerk shall stream live video and audio to the city's website for city legislative body meetings and archive them for access from the city's website.

C. The requirements in this section are in addition to the requirements in the Ralph M. Brown Act and the Council Rules of Procedure. (Ord. 2017-0024 § 3)

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4.04.040 Ad hoc committees.

A. Council ad hoc committees shall be considered city legislative bodies subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act.

B. The chair of a council ad hoc committee shall provide an oral report at the first council meeting following an ad hoc committee meeting.

C. The city clerk shall place an item on the council agenda, including a written report, when a council ad hoc committee is dissolved. (Ord. 2017-0024 § 3)

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4.04.050 Public records access.

A. The city clerk shall identify and publish a catalog of public records that are available on the city's website and accessible in the online records library.

B. The city's chief information officer shall publish data sets to the city's open data portal according to the city's published open data policy.

C. The city clerk shall annually report to council the metrics of California Public Records Act requests and responses. (Ord. 2017-0024 § 3)

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4.04.060 Website publication of city information.

A. Boards and commissions. In addition to the requirements of the Maddy Act (Government Code section 54970 et seq.), the city clerk shall publish to the city's website information about each city board and commission, including the current roster and vacancy information, and shall provide easy access to apply for any vacant seat.

B. Regional organizations and joint powers authority appointments. The city clerk shall publish to the city's website each January the approved appointments of councilmembers to regional organizations and joint powers authorities.

C. Citywide policies and procedures. The city clerk shall publish and update all approved citywide policies and procedures to the city's website.

D. Records management policy and retention schedule. The city clerk shall publish annually to the city's website the city's records management policy, including the city's records retention schedule.

E. Campaign disclosures. The city clerk shall publish to the city's campaign statement public web portal campaign contributions and expenditures, campaign statements filed by candidates and committees, and committee filing history by election.

F. Statement of Economic Interests - Form 700. The city clerk shall publish to the city's conflict of interest public web portal completed forms for filers identified in the city's conflict of interest code. (Ord. 2017-0024 § 3)

Exceptions & meaning →

4.04.070 Policy training.

A. Records management policy and retention schedule.

  1. Each elective official, appointed officer, and department director shall be responsible for designating the city staff within their respective control who must complete training on the city's record management policy and retention schedule.

  2. Every odd-numbered year, designated staff shall complete training on the city's records management policy and retention schedule.

  3. The city clerk shall be responsible for developing the records management training program and requirements. The training must include training on state law requirements and the city's record management policy and retention schedule.

B. Social media policy training.

  1. Each elective official, appointed officer, and department director shall be responsible for designating the city staff within their respective control who must complete training on the city's social media policy.

  2. Every even-numbered year, designated staff shall complete training on the city's social media policy.

  3. The city clerk shall be responsible for developing the social media policy training program and requirements, which must include training on the city's social media policy. (Ord. 2017-0024 § 3)

Exceptions & meaning →

4.04.080 Reporting of behests.

A. If the payor of a reportable behested payment will materially benefit from a decision of the city council that occurs before the reporting deadline set forth in the Political Reform Act (Government Code section 82015), the elected officer shall also announce the behested payment - including the identity of the payor, the amount, and the identity of the payee - at the council meeting before voting on the matter.

B. An elected official's obligations under this section arise upon actual knowledge of the payee's receipt of the behested payment. (Ord. 2017-0024 § 3)

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4.04.090 Use of city resources for conducting city business.

A. The city shall provide every employee a city email address.

B. No city employee shall use electronic communication for the conduct of city business unless each electronic communication regarding city business is simultaneously copied to, or promptly thereafter forwarded to, their city email address.

C. When asked by the city's record manager, or other authorized person, for potential disclosure in response to a request under the California Public Records Act, city employees shall produce to the city's record manager, or other authorized person, all city-business-related electronic communications stored on that person's private device or private electronic communication account.

D. Definitions. As used in this section:

    1. The term "employee" means elected official, officer, and employee.
    1. The term "private" means not owned, controlled, or managed by the city.
    1. The term "electronic communication" means electronic mail (email). (Ord. 2017-0024 § 3)
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4.04.100 Annual review of Sunshine Ordinance and policies.

A. Sunshine Ordinance. Each January, the city clerk shall report to the city council on the operation of this chapter, and make appropriate recommendations for the amendment of this chapter. Nothing in this section precludes additional reviews and reports on this chapter throughout the year.

B. Social media policy. The city's records manager shall review and update the city's social media policy at least annually.

C. Records management policy. The city clerk shall review and update the city's records management policy, including the city's records retention schedule, at least annually. (Ord. 2017-0024 § 3)

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4.04.110 Violations.

The violation of any provision of this chapter is not a misdemeanor or infraction. Violations may be reported to the office of compliance for investigation and appropriate action. (Ord. 2017-0024 § 3)

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