§ 2.20.200. Release of oral public information.

Release of oral public information shall be accomplished as follows:

A.

Every Agency director for the city and Redevelopment Agency, and department head for the Port shall designate a person or persons knowledgeable about the affairs of the respective agency or department, to facilitate the inspection and copying of public records and to provide oral public information about agency or department operations, plans, policies, and positions. The name of every person so designated under this section shall be filed with the City Clerk and posted online.

B.

It shall be the duty of every designated person or persons to provide information on a timely and responsive basis to those members of the public who are not requesting information from a specific person. It shall also be the duty of the person or persons so designated to assist members of the public in identifying those public records they wish to obtain pursuant to Government Code Section 6253.1. This section shall not be interpreted to curtail existing informal contacts between employees and members of the public when these contacts are occasional, acceptable to the employee and the department, not disruptive of his or her operational duties and confined to accurate information not confidential by law.

C.

Public employees shall not be discouraged from or disciplined for the expression of their personal opinions on any matter of public concern while not on duty, so long as the opinion is not represented as that of the agency or department and does not materially misrepresent the agency or department position. Nothing in this section shall be construed to provide rights to public employees beyond those recognized by law or agreement, or to create any new private cause of action or defense to disciplinary action.

(Ord. 12483 (part), 2003; Ord. 11957 § 00.21, 1997)