Sec. 67.30. The Sunshine Ordinance Task Force.

Sec. 67.31. Responsibility for Administration.

Sec. 67.32. Provision of Services to other Agencies; Sunshine Required.

Sec. 67.33. Department Head Declaration.

Sec. 67.34. Willful Failure Shall Be Official Misconduct.

Sec. 67.35. Enforcement Provisions.

Sec. 67.36. Sunshine Ordinance Supersedes Other Local Laws.

Sec. 67.37. Severability.

SEC. 67.30. THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE TASK FORCE.

(a) There is hereby established a task force to be known as the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force consisting of eleven voting members appointed by the Board of Supervisors. All members must have experience and/or demonstrated interest in the issues of citizen access and participation in local government. 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 the press or electronic media. One member shall be appointed from individuals whose names have been submitted by the local chapter of the League of Women Voters. Four 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 members of the public experienced in consumer advocacy. One member shall be a journalist from a racial/ethnic-minority-owned news organization and shall be appointed from individuals whose names have been submitted by New California Media. At all times the task force shall include at least one member who shall be a member of the public who is physically handicapped and who has demonstrated interest in citizen access and participation in local government. The Mayor or his or her designee, and the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors or his or her designee, shall serve as non-voting members of the task force. The City Attorney shall serve as legal advisor to the task force. The Sunshine Ordinance Task Force shall, at its request, have assigned to in an attorney from within the City Attorney's Office or other appropriate City Office, who is experienced in public-access law matters. This attorney shall serve solely as a legal advisor and advocate to the Task Force and an ethical wall will be maintained between the work of this attorney on behalf of the Task Force and any person or Office that the Task Force determines may have a conflict of interest with regard to the matters being handled by the attorney.

(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 appointive 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 other City departments on appropriate ways in which to implement this chapter. The task force shall develop appropriate goals to ensure practical and timely implementation of this chapter. The task force shall propose to the Board of Supervisors amendments to this chapter. The task force shall report to the Board of Supervisors at least once annually on any practical or policy problems encountered in the administration of this chapter. The Task Force shall receive and review the annual report of the Supervisor of Public Records and may request additional reports or information as it deems necessary. The Task Force shall make referrals to a municipal office with enforcement power under this ordinance or under the California Public Records Act and the Brown Act whenever it concludes that any person has violated any provisions of this ordinance or the Acts. The Task Force shall, from time to time as it sees fit, issue public reports evaluating compliance with this ordinance and related California laws by the City or any Department, Office, or Official thereof.

(d) In addition to the powers specified above, the Task Force shall possess such powers as the Board of Supervisors may confer upon it by ordinance or as the People of San Francisco shall confer upon it by initiative.

(e) The Task Force Commission shall approve by-laws specifying a general schedule for meetings, requirements for attendance by Task Force members, and procedures and criteria for removing members for non-attendance. (Added by Ord. 265-93, App. 8/18/93; amended by Ord. 118-94, App. 3/18/94; Ord. 432-94, App. 12/30/94; Ord. 287-96, App. 7/12/96; Ord. 198-98, App. 6/19/98; 387-98, App. 12/24/98; Proposition G, 11/2/99)

SEC. 67.31. RESPONSIBILITY FOR ADMINISTRATION.

The Mayor shall administer and coordinate the implementation of the provisions of this chapter for departments under his or her control. The Mayor shall administer and coordinate the implementation of the provisions of this chapter for departments under the control of board and commissions appointed by the Mayor. Elected officers shall administer and coordinate the implementation of the provisions of this chapter for departments under their respective control. The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors shall provide a full-time staff person to perform administrative duties for the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force and to assist any person in gaining access to public meetings or public information. The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors shall provide that staff person with whatever facilities and equipment are necessary to perform said duties. (Added by Ord. 265-93, App. 8/18/93; amended by Ord. 287-96, App. 7/12/96; Proposition G, 11/2/99)

SEC. 67.32. PROVISION OF SERVICES TO OTHER AGENCIES; SUNSHINE REQUIRED.

It is the policy of the City and County of San Francisco to ensure opportunities for informed civic participation embodied in this Ordinance to all local, state, regional and federal agencies and institutions with which it maintains continuing legal and political relationships. Officers, agents and other representatives of the City shall continually, consistently and assertively work to seek commitments to enact open meetings, public information and citizen comment policies by these agencies and institutions, including but not limited to the Presidio Trust, the San Francisco Unified School District, the San Francisco Community College District, the San Francisco Transportation Authority, the San Francisco Housing Authority, the Treasure Island Development Authority, the San Francisco Redevelopment Authority and the University of California. To the extent not expressly prohibited by law, copies of all written communications with the above identified entities and any City employee, officer, agents, or and representative, shall be accessible as public records. To the extent not expressly prohibited by law, any meeting of the governing body of any such agency and institution at which City officers, agents or representatives are present in their official capacities shall be open to the public, and this provision cannot be waived by any City officer, agent or representative. The city shall give no subsidy in money, tax abatements, land, or services to any private entity unless that private entity agrees in writing to provide the city with financial projections (including profit and loss figures), and annual audited financial statements for the project thereafter, for the project upon which the subsidy is based and all such projections and financial statements shall be public records that must be disclosed. (Added by Proposition G, 11/2/99)

SEC. 67.33. DEPARTMENT HEAD DECLARATION.

All City department heads and all City management employees and all employees or officials who are required to sign an affidavit of financial interest with the Ethics Commission shall sign an annual affidavit or declaration stating under penalty of perjury that they have read the Sunshine Ordinance and have attended or will attend when next offered, a training session on the Sunshine Ordinance, to be held at least once annually. The affidavit or declarations shall be maintained by the Ethics Commission and shall be available as a public record. Annual training shall be provided by the San Francisco City Attorney's Office with the assistance of the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force. (Added by Proposition G, 11/2/99)

SEC. 67.34. WILLFUL FAILURE SHALL BE OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT.

The willful failure of any elected official, department head, or other managerial city employee to discharge any duties imposed by the Sunshine Ordinance, the Brown Act or the Public Records Act shall be deemed official misconduct. Complaints involving allegations of willful violations of this ordinance, the Brown Act or the Public Records Act by elected officials or department heads of the City and County of San Francisco shall be handled by the Ethics Commission. (Added by Proposition G, 11/2/99)

SEC. 67.35. ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS.

(a) Any person may institute proceedings for injunctive relief, declaratory relief, or writ of mandate in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce his or her right to inspect or to receive a copy of any public record or class of public records under this Ordinance or to enforce his or her right to attend any meeting required under this Ordinance to be open, or to compel such meeting to be open.

(b) A court shall award costs and reasonable attorneys' fees to the plaintiff who is the prevailing party in an action brought to enforce this Ordinance.

(c) If a court finds that an action filed pursuant to this section is frivolous, the City and County may assert its rights to be paid its reasonable attorneys' fees and costs.

(d) Any person may institute proceedings for enforcement and penalties under this act in any court of competent jurisdiction or before the Ethics Commission if enforcement action is not taken by a city or state official 40 days after a complaint is filed. (Added by Proposition G, 11/2/99)

SEC. 67.36. SUNSHINE ORDINANCE SUPERSEDES OTHER LOCAL LAWS.

The provisions of this Sunshine Ordinance supersede other local laws. Whenever a conflict in local law is identified, the requirement which would result in greater or more expedited public access to public information shall apply. (Added by Proposition G, 11/2/99)

SEC. 67.37. SEVERABILITY.

The provisions of this chapter are declared to be separate and severable. The invalidity of any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section or portion of this chapter, or the invalidity of the application thereof to any person or circumstances, shall not affect the validity of the remainder of this chapter, or the validity of its application to other persons or circumstances. (Added by Ord. 265-93, App. 8/18/93; amended by Proposition G, 11/2/99)

SEC. 67A.1. PROHIBITING THE USE OF CELL PHONES, PAGERS AND SIMILAR SOUND-PRODUCING ELECTRICAL DEVICES AT AND DURING PUBLIC MEETINGS.

At and during a public meeting of any policy body governed by the San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance, the ringing and use of cell phones, pagers and similar sound-producing electronic devices shall be prohibited. The presiding officer of any public meeting which is disrupted may order the removel from the meeting room of any person(s) responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager, or other similar sound-producing electronic devices. The presiding officer may allow an expelled person to return to the public meeting following an agreement by the expelled person to comply with the provisions of this Section. A warning of the provisions of this Section shall be printed on all meeting agendas, and shall be explained at the beginning of each public meeting by the presiding officer. (Added by Ord. 286-00, File No. 001155. App. 12/22/2000)