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Extracted from Consolidated Report
This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.
Kings County Grand Jury
• 2015-2016
Findings and Recommendations Finding 1 Questioning by the Grand Jury resulted in testimony which made it apparent
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings 5 findings
F1
Page 139
Questioning by the Grand Jury resulted in testimony which made it apparent that there are rifts within the Hanford City Council which are manifested in public behavior which is not befitting of elected officials.
F2
Page 139
The Grand Jury finds that a city councilman reading into the record derogatory letters directed toward another city councilman was not technically a Brown Act violation.
F3
Page 140
The Grand Jury finds that the Hanford City Councilmembers were not consistently civil in their interactions with each other at public meetings.
F4
Page 140
The Grand Jury finds that the City of Hanford does not currently have a policy regarding the reading of documents into the public record. The Grand Jury acknowledges that this is a ‘gray’ area and that each situation has unique aspects that need to be evaluated individually.
F5
Page 140
The Grand Jury finds that members of the Hanford City Council and members of the public appeared to have had prior knowledge of what the vote would be in the reorganization of the city council. If true, such a prior meeting is a Brown Act violation.
Recommendations 5
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R1Page 139Hanford City Councilmen should be mindful that they are elected to represent their constituents and that their public behavior should be appropriate to the office that they hold.
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R2Page 146Should this Councilman choose to run for public office at any time in the future he must open a campaign bank account if required to do so by the rules and regulations in place at that time.
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R3Page 140The Grand Jury recommends that the Hanford City Councilmembers make greater efforts to treat each other with civility.
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R4Page 140The Grand Jury recommends that city councilmen should seek advice from the City Attorney before taking steps to read into the record any derogatory documents directed toward another city councilmember.
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R5Page 140The Grand Jury recommends that the Hanford City Councilmembers ask the City Attorney to conduct a Study Session to ensure they are aware of the requirements of the Ralph M. Brown Act found at Government Code 54950. The Grand Jury further finds that the Hanford City Councilmembers should take great care to follow the law. COMMENTS The Grand Jury thanks those who provided testimony and pertinent documents during the investigation.