Welcome to your online guide to the City Clerk's Office.
A City Clerk is a highly
trained, certified, and unbiased public servant who promotes
open government and transparency in information. The Clerk is
the governmental official charged with recording for posterity
all actions as approved by, for and related to the City. These
actions include, but are not limited to legislation, elections,
record management, campaign reporting, contracting, notary
services, and requests for public information. The City
Clerk's Office is the hub of these City actions and as such
facilitates the exchange of information. In Monterey the City
Clerk's Office is a division of the Information Resources
Department.
The City Clerk's Office is staffed by City Clerk Bonnie Gawf, CMC,
Senior Assistant City Clerk Catherine Raynor, CMC, and Assistant City Clerk
Sandy Barajas. Bonnie, in addition to being the City Clerk, is the Director of
the Information Resources Department. Catherine is primarily responsible for the
City's record management project and Sandy supports the day-to-day Council
agenda process. On any given day you can find Bonnie, Catherine, and Sandy
providing a variety of services to the public, Council, and staff with a smile.
For information on the city clerk profession, see the International Institute of
Municipal Clerks (IIMC) and
the City Clerks Association of California (CCAC).
The following is a list of the programs and services the City
Clerk's Office offers.
Council meeting agenda coordination: The City
Clerk coordinates the preparation and distribution of all City
Council
agendas.
Public Records: The City Clerk is the "keeper of
the record" and provides public access to all official records of
the Council actions (minutes,
ordinances, resolutions, deeds, agreements, etc.).
Information dissemination: The Clerk's Office
prepares legal and promotional publications, posts ordinances,
notices of public hearings and advisory body vacancies. In addition,
the Clerk is responsible for codification and dissemination of the
City's Municipal Code and related policies.
Ministerial duties: The City Clerk administers oaths
of office, attests and seals official documents, receives and files all
petitions, appeals, claims and lawsuits against the City.
Statements of Economic Interest: The City Clerk is
the filing official for all state and local financial disclosure
statements, which include Statements of Economic Interest for members of
the City Council, designated employees and certain advisory body
members, and campaign disclosure statements for all candidates and
campaign committees.
Advisory
Bodies:
The City Clerk coordinates all appointments by the City Council to City
advisory bodies (Planning Commission, Architectural Review Committee,
Library Board, Parks and Recreation Commission, to name just a few).
Elections: The City Clerk
conducts all regular and special elections, including processing and
certifying citizen-generated petitions. Click here for
general elections information provided by Monterey County Elections
Department. Click here for City of Monterey
Candidate and Election information.
Voter education: The City Clerk promotes voter
education through school and community groups and encourages voter
education drives. Voter registration forms are available in the Office
of the City Clerk, or by calling the
Monterey County Registrar of Voters at 831.796.1499.
Request Under the Public Records Act: Requests for
documents made under the California Public Records Act should be directed in
writing to the
City Attorney's Office, 831.646.3915; Fax: 831.373.1634.
Visit the office online at
www.monterey.org/cityattorney
Related Links:
To better serve the citizen, the City Clerk notes that the
following
services are not provided by the City Clerk or the City of Monterey, but by
the
County of Monterey:
