Ethics & Transparency

Ethics Requirements for the Board of Directors

Members of the Board of Directors have an obligation to conduct business on your behalf in an ethical and impartial manner. They must be mindful of how they make decisions and to assure that they represent our community as a whole and not just one aspect or constituency.

There are a great many laws that govern the ethical conduct of public officials; laws that not only address conflicts of interest, but criminal activity and corruption as well. In addition, in 2005 California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 1234  requiring, among other things, that local agency officials “receive at least two hours of training in general ethics principles and ethics laws relevant to his or her public service every two years.”

The Board of Directors has adopted an Ethics Policy to guide those who serve and to demonstrate their commitment to act and govern transparently and ethically. In addition, the Board members have agreed to abide by the following:

Ethics PolicyBoard of Directors Policies & Procedures ManualBrown Act Compliance PolicyBVCSD Conflict of Interest CodeFinancial Reserve PoliciesBudget & Fiscal Policies

Transparency

Meetings:

The Board of Directors meets monthly on the second Thursday at 6:00 pm. Closed session items may be heard prior to convening or after adjournment of the open session meeting. Special meetings may be scheduled from time to time as needed

California's Open Meeting Law is officially known as the Ralph M. Brown Act and is found in the California Government Code § 54950 and following. The Brown Act was adopted in 1953 to guarantee the public’s right to attend and participate in meetings of local legislative bodies. The Brown Act is pivotal in making public officials accountable for their actions and in allowing the public to participate in the decision-making process.

The Brown Act governs local agencies, legislative bodies of local government agencies created by state or federal law and any standing committee of a covered board or legislative body, and governing bodies of non-profit corporations formed by a public agency.

It is important that District employees and members of the Board of Directors understand the requirements and limitations under the Brown Act. It is equally important that members of the Bear Valley Springs community know and understand the requirements imposed upon their local government and their rights under the Brown Act.  

In that spirit, the Board of Directors has adopted the Brown Act Compliance Policy,

Conflict of Interest

The Political Reform Act (Government Code Section 81000 and following) requires government agencies to have conflict of interest codes. The Fair Political Practices Commission has a regulation (2 California Code of Regulations Section 18730) that sets out a standard code. The Commission can change this regulation to match any changes to the Political Reform Act. This document incorporates the terms of Section 18730 and any amendments made by the Commission. The Conflict of Interest Code of the Bear Valley Community Services District includes this document, Section 18730, and an appendix with Exhibits 1, 2, 3, and 4 that list positions and categories for disclosing conflicts of interest.

Conflict of Interest Code

Statement of Economic Interest

California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) requires every elected official and public employee who makes or influences governmental decisions to annually submit a Statement of Economic Interest, also known as the Form 700. The Form 700 provides transparency and ensures accountability in two ways:

1. It provides necessary information to the public about an official’s personal financial interests to ensure that officials are making decisions in the best interest of the public and not enhancing their personal finances.
2. It serves as a reminder to the public official of potential conflicts of interest so the official can abstain from making or participating in governmental decisions that are deemed conflicts of interest.

All officials and designated employees and consultants required to submit a statement of economic interests (Form 700) must file their statements with the Secretary of the District, who will serve as the District’s filing officer.  Under Government Code section 81008, all originals or copies of statements maintained by the District will be available for public inspection and reproduction upon request during the District’s regular business hours.

Public Records Requests

Section 6253 of the California Government Code provides that every person has a right to inspect any public record except those specifically exempted by law. The California Public Records Act (CPRA) was adopted to ensure that every person in California has access to information concerning the conduct of the people’s business. The CPRA governs state and local agencies, which includes special districts such as Bear Valley Community Services District.

We are committed to promoting transparency and open governance, and as part of this commitment, we are pleased to offer a user-friendly online request form for the public to access important documents and information.