Terminating the Employment Relationship

F. D ISCUSSION OF A GREEMENTS AT P UBLIC M EETINGS Discussions at public meetings regarding settlement agreements are governed by the Brown Act. 368 The Brown Act generally requires that meetings of legislative bodies of local public agencies be open and public. While there are exceptions to the open meeting requirement, which allow legislative bodies to discuss certain matters in closed session, such exceptions are construed narrowly and there is a presumption that the public’s business must be conducted in public. 369 Closed sessions are permitted to allow the legislative body to confer with, or receive advice from its legal counsel regarding pending litigation when discussion in open session of a matter would prejudice the position of the local agency in the litigation. 370

“Litigation” includes any adjudicatory proceeding, including eminent domai n, before a court, administrative body exercising its adjudicatory authority, hearing officer or arbitrator. 371

Litigation is considered pending when any of the following circumstances exist:

Litigation to which the local agency is a party has been initiated formally;

A point has been reached where, in the legislative body’s opinion on the advice of its legal counsel, based on “existing facts and circumstances,” there is a significant exposure to litigation; Based on “existing facts and circumstances,” the legislative body is meeting only to decide whether a closed session is authorized; or Based on “existing facts and circumstances,” the legislative body has decided to initiate or is deciding whether to initiate litigation. 372 Facts and circumstances that might result in litigation against the agency but which the agency believes are not yet known to a potential plaintiff or plaintiffs, which facts and circumstances need not be disclosed; Facts and circumstances, including, but not limited to, an accident, disaster, incident or transactional occurrence that might result in litigation against the agency and that are known to a potential plaintiff or plaintiffs. These facts or circumstances must be publicly stated on the agenda or announced; The receipt of a claim pursuant to the Tort Claims Act or some other written communication from a potential plaintiff threatening litigation, which claim or communication must be available for public inspection; A statement made by a person in an open and public meeting threatening litigation made on a specific matter within the responsibility of the legislative body; or

“Existing facts and circumstances” consists of any one of the following:

Terminating the Employment Relationship ©2022 (s) Liebert Cassidy Whitmore 122