HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 26 - Councilmember Requested Item: Closed Session Labor Negotiations Discussions City Council
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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.
Councilmember Requested Item: Closed Session Discussions Relating to Labor
Negotiations
October 4, 2022
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I have no confidence that any closed session discussion of the POA contract negotiations
will not be leaked to Gerry Serrano and the POA. Therefore, I ask the City Council to
move all POA contract negotiations into a public forum so that every member of the public
has the same level of access to information that has been consistently and covertly
provided to Gerry Serrano during these negotiations.
This item was discussed with the City Manager and City Attorney.
Submitted By: Councilmember Jessie Lopez