Berkeley Open Government Ordinance

Ordinance No. 7,166-N.S., Adopted March 8, 2011

The Open Government Ordinance, also known as the "sunshine ordinance," is a city ordinance that provides additional assurances that community members have access to public meetings and public documents. California’s Brown Act and Public Records Act make basic guarantees to everyone in the state regarding access to public meetings and documents.

Berkeley's ordinance covers four primary areas, the agenda process, conduct of meetings, access to records, and oversight.  Under each of these areas are several requirements for public access to City records, information, and meetings.  This page acts as a clearinghouse for the various documents and information guaranteed to citizens under the Berkeley Open Government Ordinance (OGO).  The provisions of the ordinance are effective April 9, 2011.

Full Text of the Berkeley Open Government Ordinance

Open Government Ordinance FAQs

Agendas

The Open Government Ordinance requires that the complete Agenda Packet be distributed no later than 11 days prior to the City council Meeting.  This is a full week earlier than was previously required and allows for more time for review by the public and elected officials.  Accordingly, the City council Agenda Committee now meets one week earlier, 15 days before the Council meeting.

For more information regarding Council meetings including Agendas, Subcommittees, the City Council Rules of Procedure, and the Berkeley Redevelopment Agency please visit the City Council Web Page. 

Hard copies of City Council Agenda and Agenda Packet are available at the City Clerk Department, 2180 Milvia Street, 1st Floor and the Main Branch of the Berkeley Public Library at 2090 Kittredge Avenue.

Conduct of Meetings

City Council Meeting Schedule

Regional Bodies with City Representatives

Public Presentations at Council Meetings - Pursuant to BMC Section 2.06.130 members of the public may use City presentation tools at City Council meetings.  The presentation must be provided to the City Clerk no later than seven (7) days before the meeting, or five (5) days before for items carried over from a meeting that occurred the week immediately prior. Requests for presentation tools are subject to reasonable availability of any equipment that the proposed presentation would require. Presentations from the public shall comply with the time limits set forth in the City Council Rules of Procedure.

Public Records

Follow these links to access the documents listed under Section 2.06.140 of the OGO:

City Charter
Berkeley Municipal Code
General Plan, Area Plans, and Master Plans:
        Planning & Development
                Adopted Plans
                2010 Downtown Area Plan
        Transportation
               West Berkeley Circulation Master Plan
               Berkeley Pedestrian Master Plan
        Parks & Recreation
               Final Citywide Pools Master Plan
               Aquatic Park Improvement Program
        Information Technology Master Plan
Zoning Ordinance
Landmarks Preservation Ordinance
Citizen’s Guide to Public Information
Records Retention Schedule
City Council Rules of Procedure
Commissioner’s Manual
Conflict of Interest Code
Statements of Economic Interest for filers under GC 87200
Index of Regional Bodies and the City Representatives who serve on them
Agendas and Minutes of the meetings of all Legislative Bodies:
        City Council
        Rent Stabilization Board
        Redevelopment Agency
        City Boards and Commissions

Large Document Index - The documents in the Index are available for review at the Reference Desk of the Main Branch of the Berkeley Library at 2090 Kittredge Street.  They are also on file with the City Clerk Department at 2180 Milvia Street, 1st Floor and the Department of Origin.  Many of these documents are also available online though the City's website.

•  Large Document Index

Index of Communications from City Manager and Department Heads to Outside Agencies (starting April 9, 2011)

 

From	To	Date	Subject
Police Department	BUSD*	April 5, 2011	Recommendations for School Safety
Planning	ABAG**, MTC***	June 28, 2011	SB 375 Sustainable Communities Strategy
Public Works	City of Oakland	August 12, 2011	Comments on Safeway Shopping Center
City Manager	City of Oakland	October 17, 2011	Comments on Safeway Shopping Center
Human Resources	CA Department of Insurance	November 29, 2011	Insurance Gender Non-Discrimination
City Attorney	State Water Resources Control Board	December 14, 2011	Petition A-2062(a)
Planning	California Strategic Growth Council	February 10, 2012	Sustainable Communities Planning Grant
Planning	AC Transit	March 7, 2012	BRT Final Environmental Impact Report/Statement
Planning	AC Transit	March 9, 2012	Berkeley Oversight Board Appointment
Planning	CA Community Colleges	March 15, 2012	Berkeley Oversight Board Appointment
Planning	AC Transit	March 19, 2012	Revised Comments on BRT FEIS/R
City Manager	PG&E	April 20, 2012	East Bay Energy Watch
City Manager	City of Oakland	July 30, 2012	Concerns on Safeway Shopping Center
Police Department	UC Berkeley Police Department	August 30, 2012	BPD Mutual Aid Memorandum Of Understanding
City Manager	US Postal Service	September 26, 2012	Request for Information Re: Berkeley Main Post Office
City Manager	US Postal Service	October 15, 2012	Public Meeting Regarding Berkeley Main Post Office
City Manager	US Postal Service	October 18, 2012	USPS Letter Collection Boxes
City Manager	US Postal Service	October 23, 2012	USPS FOIA Request
City Manager	US Postal Service	November 6, 2012	USPS Request to Reconsider Public Meeting Date
City Manager	Office of the Chancellor, UC Berkeley	December 4, 2012	Stanley Hall Diesel Spill
City Manager	US Postal Service	January 29, 2013	USPS FOIA Request Follow-up
City Attorney	Kern County Planning and Community Development Department	July 7, 2014	Alon Bakersfield Crude Flexibility Project Draft Environmental Impact Report
City Attorney	USPS Facilities Department HQ Field Office	July 9, 2014	Berkeley Main Post Office Covenant - City of Berkeley and National Trust Comments
City Attorney	California Energy Commission	July 10, 2014	Additional Recommendations for Oil By Rail Safety in California
City Attorney	Advisory Council on Historic Preservation	October 14, 2014	Berkeley Main Post Office - Comments of City of Berkeley and National Trust on the USPS's Request to Review Finding of No Adverse Effect
City Attorney	San Luis Obipso County Department of Planning and Building	February 4, 2016	Finding Environmental Impact Report for the Phillips 66 Company Rail Spur Extension and Crude Unloading Project

*Berkeley Unified School District
**Association of Bay Area Governments
***Metropolitan Transportation Commission

Off Agenda Memos

Oversight
The Open Government Commission consists of the members of the Berkeley Fair Campaign Practices Commission who serve as ex officio members of the Open Government Commission.  The Commission hears complaints, considers ways to informally resolve those complaints, and makes recommendations to the Council regarding such complaints.  For more information, visit the Commission web page (link below).

Open Government Commission  

Complaint Form

Annual Reports to Open Government Commission (first report due in 2012)