Supes file new response in Brown Act suit

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors on Thursday filed its second response to a lawsuit alleging it violated California’s open meeting laws.

The Board’s filing addresses an amendment to the suit filed initially by Richard P. McKee in March. Late last month, a Tulare County Superior Court Judge ruled that the plaintiff did not present enough facts to move forward, and asked for more evidence.

The Visalia Times-Delta and the California Newspapers Publishers Association joined the lawsuit, and in its latest amendment, argues that Supervisors admitted violating state open-meeting laws when they certified that lunch meetings represented a business expense.

The Board released a statement today saying that in its response to that accusation, it asks Judge Melinda Reed dismiss the petition altogether.

“Counsel for the Board, who believes no new facts are alleged, anticipate that the second petition also will be dismissed,” Board representative Jed Chernabaeff said.

The Board of Supervisors maintain that they did not violate the opening meeting law by attending lunch together because discussions were not within the scope of the Brown Act.