SEC. 67.8. AGENDA DISCLOSURES: CLOSED SESSIONS.
§ 67.8
San Francisco must disclose detailed information about closed sessions in its agendas, specifying the nature and participants of each closed session by category—including license/permit reviews, real estate negotiations, legal matters, public safety threats, employee actions, and labor negotiations.
When the City holds closed (private) meetings, it must tell the public in advance what those meetings are about. For each closed meeting, the City must post specific details like: how many license applications will be reviewed, which properties are being negotiated, what lawsuits are involved, which city employees are being evaluated or dismissed, and which labor agreements are being negotiated. The City can list addresses, case numbers, and other identifying information to help the public understand the topics, unless revealing those details would hurt the City's legal position or ability to serve papers on someone.
- Complex:The section is lengthy with multiple nested categories (54956.7 through 54957.6), each with different disclosure templates and conditional requirements that cross-reference state government code sections.
- Could be simpler:The formatting instructions and multiple conditional disclosure formats (particularly under §54956.9 and §54957.6) could be clarified with a single consolidated template or flow chart to reduce reader confusion.
AI-generated · claude-haiku-4-5 · informational only, not legal advice.
Official text
(a) In addition to the brief general description of items to be discussed or acted upon in open and public session, the agenda posted pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2, any mailed notice given pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.1, and any call and notice delivered to the local media and posted pursuant to Government Code Section 54956 shall specify and disclose the nature of any closed sessions by providing all of the following information:
(1) With respect to a closed session held pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.7:
LICENSE/PERMIT DETERMINATION:
____________ applicant(s)The space shall be used to specify the number of persons whose applications are to be reviewed.
(2) With respect to every item of business to be discussed in closed session pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.8:
CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTYNEGOTIATORProperty:
Person(s) negotiating:
Under negotiation:Price: ____________ Terms of payment: ____________ Both: ____________
The space under "Property" shall be used to list an address, including cross streets where applicable, or other description or name which permits a reasonably ready identification of each parcel or structure subject to negotiation. The space under "Person(s) negotiating" shall be used to identify the person or persons with whom negotiations concerning that property are in progress. The spaces under "Under negotiation" shall be checked off as applicable to indicate which issues are to be discussed.
(3) With respect to every item of business to be discussed in closed session pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9, either:
CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSELExisting litigation:
____________ Unspecified to protect service of process____________ Unspecified to protect settlement posture
or:
CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSELAnticipated litigation: ____________ As defendant ____________ As plaintiff
The space under "Existing litigation" shall be used to specifically identify a case under discussion pursuant to subdivision (a) of Government Code Section 54956.9, including the case name, court, and case number, unless the identification would jeopardize the City's ability to effectuate service of process upon one or more unserved parties, in which instance the space in the next succeeding line shall be checked, or unless the identification would jeopardize the City's ability to conclude existing settlement negotiations to its advantage, in which instance the space in the next succeeding line shall be checked. If the closed session is called pursuant to subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 54956.9, the appropriate space shall be checked under "Anticipated litigation" to indicate the City's anticipated position as defendant or plaintiff respectively. If more than one instance of anticipated litigation is to be reviewed, space may be saved by entering the number of separate instances in the "As defendant" or "As plaintiff" spaces or both as appropriate.
(4) With respect to every item of business to be discussed in closed session pursuant to Government Code Section 54957, either:
THREAT TO PUBLIC SERVICES OR FACILITIESName, title and agency of law enforcement officer(s) to be conferred with:
or:
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE APPOINTMENT/HIRINGTitle/description of position(s) to be filled:
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCEEVALUATIONPosition and, in the case of a routine evaluation, name of employee(s) being evaluated:
or:
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE DISMISSALNumber of employees affected:
or:
(5) With respect to every item of business to be discussed in closed session pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6, either:
CONFERENCE WITH NEGOTIATORCOLLECTIVE BARGAININGName and title of City's negotiator:
Organization(s) representing:____________ Police officers, firefighters and airport police____________ Transit Workers____________ Nurses____________ Miscellaneous Employees
Anticipated issue(s) under negotiation:____________ Wages____________ Hours____________ Benefits____________ Working Conditions____________ Other (specify if known)____________ AllWhere renegotiating a memorandum of understanding or negotiating a successor memorandum of understanding, the name of the memorandum of understanding:
In case of multiple items of business under the same category, lines may be added and the location of information may be reformatted to eliminate unnecessary duplication and space, so long as the relationship of information concerning the same item is reasonably clear to the reader. As an alternative to the inclusion of lengthy lists of names or other information in the agenda, or as a means of adding items to an earlier completed agenda, the agenda may incorporate by reference separately prepared documents containing the required information, so long as copies of those documents are posted adjacent to the agenda within the time periods required by Government Code Sections 54954.2 and 54956 and provided with any mailed or delivered notices required by Sections 54954.1 or 54956.
(Added by Ord. 265-93, App. 8/18/93; amended by Proposition G, 11/2/99)