Item 26 - Councilmember Requested Item: Closed Session Labor Negotiations Discussions

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City Council www.santa-ana.org/city-council Item # 26 City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Staff Report October 4, 2022 TOPIC: Councilmember Requested Item: Closed Session Discussions Relating to Labor Negotiations TITLE Discuss and Provide Direction to the City Manager and City Attorney to Report to the City Council What is Necessary to Adopt a Policy to Move all Santa Ana Police Officers Association Contract Negotiations into a Public Forum DISCUSSION Councilmember Lopez added the following councilmember requested item: At least one, but possibly more members of the current Santa Ana City Council are leaking confidential closed session information to the Association President of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, Gerry Serrano. The action of leaking confidential information shared during closed session meetings undermines the good faith labor negotiations of the City, is a violation of the oaths of office of the councilmembers engaging in this activity, and is possibly considered illegal. These actions directly contradict their official duties as councilmembers. On February 2 and 16, 2021, the City Council met to discuss privileged information pertaining to the level of involvement the City should have in Gerry Serrano’s pending CalPERs appeal hearing. Shortly after these closed session discussions, and before any public actions were taken, Gerry Serrano had knowledge of the City’s direction and expressed his anger with councilmembers and staff. In August 2022, the City Council met to discuss privileged information regarding negotiating strategies with the Santa Ana Police Officers Association (POA). The negotiating team met with the POA on August 24 to relay direction. However, Gerry Serrano made comments indicating specific and direct knowledge about the City’s negotiations strategy. It is the lead negotiator's belief that Gerry Serrano had direct knowledge of the City Council's closed session discussion and the specifics of the conversation regarding the ongoing contract negotiations with the POA.