SEC. 67.12. DISCLOSURE OF CLOSED SESSION DISCUSSIONS AND ACTIONS.

§ 67.12

ComplexControversial
In plain language

City policy bodies must publicly report actions taken in closed sessions and may disclose closed-session discussions if not legally confidential, using procedures that specify when and how to report real estate deals, litigation decisions, settlements, employee actions, and labor agreements.

When the city holds a closed (private) meeting, it must tell the public what it decided and how members voted, unless the information is legally protected. For real estate deals, the city reports once the agreement is final. For lawsuits, it reports the decision and who is being sued. For settlements, the city must make the agreement public at least 10 days before approving it (unless it involves a small cash payment under $50,000). For hiring or firing, it must name the employee and say what happened. For union contracts, it must post them at least 15 days before approval. Reports can be written or oral but must happen quickly—usually the next business day.

  • Complex:The section contains multiple detailed subsections with varying reporting timelines, conditions, and exceptions (especially subsection (b)(3) on settlements) that interact in ways requiring careful reading.
  • Controversial:Settlement disclosure rules and the $50,000 threshold for settlement documentation release raise public-interest questions about government transparency that San Franciscans reasonably debate.

AI-generated · claude-haiku-4-5 · informational only, not legal advice.

Official text

(Added by Ord. 265-93, App. 8/18/93; amended by Proposition G, 11/2/99)

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