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Santa Clarita residents demanding accountability about the recent decision by the City Council to privatize library services say the Council violated the Brown Act, which requires open public meetings. Today they filed a “Brown Act Cure” letter with city officials asking them to withdraw the Aug. 24 library action and hold public meetings on the issue.
The letter was signed by 10 Santa Clarita Valley residents, a local librarian and a representative from SEIU 721 upset about the lack of transparency and risk to library services. Click here to read the letter (pdf).
“Elected representatives should be responsive to their constituents,” said Valencia library patron and letter signer, Ed Shain. “Hopefully, the Brown Act Cure letter will serve as a wakeup call indicating that we, the voters, like the voters in Bell and other cities deserve to have a voice that is listened to and transparency from our elected officials with decisions that impact us.”
At the Aug. 24 meeting, the Council gave city officials authorization to sign a multi-million-dollar contract with LSSI, a company owned by a Boston private equity firm, without full public disclosure of what services library patrons will retain or new fees residents may face.
The City was given the Brown Act Cure letter on Sept. 28 and has 30 days to reply and remedy the situation which includes holding public meetings and releasing all information about the LSSI contract and process for privatizing services. The letter is a first step in possible legal action. Click here for a copy of the letter (pdf).