Late Friday afternoon last week, the City of Healdsburg announced the settlement of two lawsuits brought by Jon Eisenberg, a retired attorney living in Healdsburg, against the City for violations of the Brown Act. At issue was a “pattern of misbehavior that is deeply embedded in the culture of Healdsburg’s city government,” in the terms of Eisenberg’s January 2025 complaint.
“While the parties continue to disagree about allegations raised in the lawsuits, the City acknowledges Mr. Eisenberg raised important and valid concerns,” read the City’s statement. It further states that both parties “share an interest in government transparency and have agreed to several measures designed to improve public trust.”
Eisenberg’s complaint cited the Ralph M. Brown Act and the California Public Records Act in asserting that the city had engaged in “tainted decision-making on Healdsburg’s two most consequential issues in recent years,” those being the Measure O (rezoning) initiative and the dividing up of Healdsburg into five districts, in compliance with the Voting Rights Act…