Source: https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/open-meetings-3/facs-brown-act-primer/brown-act-primer-closed-sessions/
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 20:59:30+00:00

Document:
V. When may the public be excluded?
The public may not be excluded from a meeting, except as expressly authorized by the Brown Act.
(6) to meet with the local agency’s designated representatives regarding the salaries, salary schedules, or fringe benefits of its represented and unrepresented employees, and, for represented employees, any other matter within the statutorily provided scope of representation.
There are also a number of other narrow circumstances in which closed sessions may be held.
However, although there are many provisions permitting closed sessions, certain provisions are more commonly invoked, and hence are more frequently the subject of questions and disputes. Those provisions are discussed below.
A. Meetings with a body’s negotiator prior to the purchase, sale, exchange or lease of real property in order to grant authority to the negotiator regarding the price and terms of payment.
The closed session notice should state the address of the property, the identity of the negotiator, and whether the instruction will concern price, payment terms, or both.
Prior to the closed session, the public body must hold an open and public session in which it identifies its negotiators, the real property or real properties which the negotiations may concern, and the person or persons with whom its negotiators may negotiate.
Note: This provision has been the subject of considerable abuse. For example, government agencies involved in enormous, multi-faceted transactions have used a real property portion of the potential transaction to discuss the entire matter in secret. It has also been invoked to cover meetings attended by representatives of the adverse party in the negotiation.
B. Meetings to discuss “pending litigation.” This exception has been carefully crafted due to frequent past disputes.
Litigation is any adjudicatory proceeding.
(c) when the agency itself has decided or is deciding whether to initiate litigation.
For existing litigation, the closed session notice should state the name of the case or parties (unless it would jeopardize service of process or existing settlement negotiations), and for anticipated litigation or litigation the agency is considering initiating, it should state the number of potential cases.
(a), the body must state the title of or otherwise specifically identify the litigation to be discussed, unless the body states that to do so would jeopardize the agency’s ability to effectuate service of process upon one or more unserved parties, or that to do so would jeopardize its ability to conclude existing settlement negotiations to its advantage.
The closed session notice should identify the law enforcement agency and state the name and title of the law enforcement official.
Note: Expect to see this exception invoked with increasing frequency.
D. Meetings to discuss the appointment, employment, evaluation of performance,discipline or dismissal of a public employee or to hear complaints brought against the employee.
2. Note: An elected official is not a public employee.
3. Note: The employee may request a public hearing.
43 Gov’t Code § 54956.7.
44 Gov’t Code § 54956.8.
45 Gov’t Code § 54956.9.
46 Gov’t Code § 54957(a).
47 Gov’t Code § 54957(b).
48 Gov’t Code § 54957.6(a).
50 Gov’t Code § 54956.8.
51 Gov’t Code § 54954.5(b).
52 Gov’t Code § 54956.9.
53 Gov’t Code § 54956.9(a), (b), (c).
54 Gov’t Code § 54954.5(c).
55 Gov’t Code § 54959.
56 Gov’t Code § 54957(a).
57 Gov’t Code § 54954.5(e).
59 Gov’t Code § 54954.5(e).
60 Gov’t Code § 54957(b)(4).
61 Gov’t Code § 54957(b)(1).
62 Gov’t Code § 54954.5(f).
43. Gov’t Code § 54956.7.
44. Gov’t Code § 54956.8.
45. Gov’t Code § 54956.9.
46. Gov’t Code § 54957(a).
47. Gov’t Code § 54957(b).
48. Gov’t Code § 54957.6(a).
49. See Gov’t Code §§ 54956.86, 54956.87, 54956.95, 54957.8, and 54957.10. Because these provisions have much more limited application, they are not addressed here.
52. Gov’t Code § 54956.9.
53. Gov’t Code § 54956.9(a), (b), (c).
54. Gov’t Code § 54954.5(c).
55. Gov’t Code § 54959.
56. Gov’t Code § 54957(a).
57. Gov’t Code § 54954.5(e).
58 Gov’t Code § 54957(b).
60. Gov’t Code § 54957(b)(4).
E. Meetings with its agents to discuss specific collective bargaining negotiations, but only with respect to reviewing the position of the employee organization and instructing the agents regarding those specific negotiations.
1. The closed session notice should state the name of the agency negotiator and the employee organization with whom the agency is negotiating. If the agency is negotiating with unrepresented employees, the notice should identify their positions.62 Gov’t Code § 54954.5(f).

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