What notice has to be included in the agenda posting regarding a committee report, i.e., is it sufficient simply to state that XYZ Committee will give a report?
The Brown Act merely provides that “a general description of each item of business to be transacted or discussed at a meeting” be set forth on the agenda, and that “a brief description need not exceed 20 words.” Since the purpose of the Brown Act is to provide notice to the public as to what will be discussed at a particular meeting, the description of the committee report should be geared toward that goal. In some instances, merely identifying the committee and that it will give a report will be sufficient, depending on that committee’s jurisdiction; in other cases, it may be more appropriate for the committee as well as the general subject matter of its report, to be identified on the agenda. Those determinations will be judgment calls dependant upon the facts in any one situation. If, however, the report contains a recommendation for future action by the Neighborhood Council as a whole, the agenda should indicate that fact, briefly summarizing the nature of the recommendation.
