Fw: URGENT: Brown Act Reform allowing remote quorum! Signatures needed by 01/08
|
Hi everyone, Legislation reforming the Brown Act to allow public bodies to count members participating in meetings remotely towards a quorum needs support.? This legislation is an important step towards allowing elders, immune compromised people, and people with disabilities to serve meaningfully on commissions and other civic groups. Since COVID emergency measures allowing remote quorums have been lifted, many groups that fall under the Brown Act have had difficulty getting quorums. For example, the Contra Costa County Library Commission has been unable to get an in-person quorum for three meetings straight.? Many city and county commissions are made up of volunteers, which means their members are usually retired and thus skew older.? Transportation and mobility issues and health conditions that make exposure to COVID more dangerous can sideline a group of people who want to make contributions to their community.? This legislation will be a step in the right direction towards more inclusivity in public meetings. Kristen ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: george pursley <georgepursley@...> To: kristen pursley <kpursley@...> Sent: Friday, January 5, 2024 at 06:04:46 PM PST Subject: Fw: URGENT CALL TO ACTION: Brown Act Reform! PLEASE READ! Sent from From: Walter Beveridge <walter.beveridge@...>
Sent: Friday, January 5, 2024 4:04 PM To: Alison McKee <alison.mckee@...>; Walter Beveridge <walter.beveridge@...> Cc:? Subject: FW: URGENT CALL TO ACTION: Brown Act Reform! PLEASE READ! ?
Forwarded from County Librarian Alison McKee:
From: Christina Reich <creich@...> ? Dear CAA Member, We are reaching out to you as an?interested?party in support of AB-817 by Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco. AB-817?would amend the Brown Act to allow advisory and subsidiary bodies to participate remotely. It would allow public CAA board members to constitute a quorum remotely without publishing locations. ? The bill is?moving forward! It will be heard by the Assembly Committee on Local Government on Wednesday, Jan. 10th at 1:30pm. ? Here is the text to the proposed bill, as amended.
? Please consider signing-on to the attached letter of support no later than Monday, January 8, 5pm.? ? If you or your agency would like to submit a support letter separately, it can be uploaded through the??here. I have attached a sample letter submitted on behalf of the Napa Valley Transportation Authority. ? If you have any questions,?please reach out to us. ? Thank you! ? Renee Zeimer, Chair Contra Costa County Economic Opportunity Council Public Sector Representative, District 2 Email:?rkzeimer@... Tel: (925) 212-3239 ? ? Christina L. Reich (she/her/hers) Division Manager Employment & Human Services Department Community Services Bureau 1470 Civic Court, Suite 200 Concord, CA 94520 Ph: (925) 608-8819? Note new phone number effective 5/30/23 Fax: (925)313-8303 ??? ?
|