City Hall News : SOUTH PASADENA : Council Accused of Violating Meeting Law
A local political watchdog group has filed a complaint with the district attorney’s office, claiming the City Council knowingly violated the state’s open meeting law.
The South Pasadena Taxpayers Assn. is seeking an investigation into a closed council session that allegedly violated the Brown Act. At the session, the council allegedly hired the law firm Franscell, Strickland, Roberts & Lawrence to defend the city against a civil rights suit filed by former Mayor Lee D. Prentiss.
The complaint says the council retained the firm to replace the city attorney in late 1993. It publicly approved the hiring March 2.
“This cover-up occurred because the council was embarrassed by the lawsuit and the fact it has already spent $250,000 on attorneys fighting Prentiss,” said association spokesman Thomas Biesek.
City Atty. Edward Lee said the council did not violate the law because the closed-session discussion concerned litigation, an exception to the law.
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