Trustees to Learn From Violations of the Brown Act

Ventura County’s community college trustees have pledged to uphold the state’s open-meeting law after the district attorney chided them for failing to comply with the Brown Act.

The five-member board, including two new trustees, unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday evening, promising to study the Brown Act and reaffirming its commitment to the law that governs all public panels in California.

Ventura County Dist. Atty. Greg Totten recently asked the board to pass the resolution after finding trustees violated the law several times in handling the employment contract of former Chancellor Philip Westin.

“I think we’re just reaffirming we’re going to be extra vigilant on the Brown Act and make sure we get proper training,” said newly named board President Art Hernandez. “There’s different ways to interpret the Brown Act. After the board members get trained, I think our inclination will be to interpret it in the strictest sense.”

The two-page resolution calls for trustees and some staff members to receive training every two years on the law that sets rules for when a public board may meet behind closed doors.

The board scheduled a retreat Jan. 24 to review the law and discuss other district business.

Special Assistant Dist. Atty. Tom Harris attended the board meeting Tuesday night to witness the resolution’s passage. Totten told trustees in a Nov. 29 letter that he would not seek civil litigation against the board if it formally reaffirmed its commitment to the Brown Act.

Totten found the board had unintentionally violated the law several times since spring, when it awarded Westin a 16% salary increase to $203,000 a year. The most recent violation occurred in October, when trustees failed to notify the public in a timely manner that they had bought out Westin’s contract after he came under fire for allegedly abusing his expense account.

The settlement -- which will pay Westin more than $200,000 in salary, lifetime benefits and the title of chancellor emeritus for one year -- became legal Oct. 4, but the public was not told about it until Oct. 22.

The Tuesday meeting was the first for new board members Cheryl Heitmann and Mary Anne Rooney, who were elected in November.

Hernandez, who was reelected in November, was selected board president and Heitmann vice president.