REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Add Determination of Study Session Locations to Mayoral Responsibilities
Report
BACKGROUND
On February 7, 2014, City Council endorsed a Budget Issue Paper (Attachment 1) designed to identify the costs of broadcasting future Council study sessions on the City's public television channel (Channel 15), similar to the manner in which general business meetings of the City Council and Planning Commission are televised. Given the relatively minor expense involved, staff recommended that the service simply be adopted if staff could find a way to absorb the expense or otherwise cover it within the proposed budget. Several study sessions have since been conducted in the Council Chambers and televised to the community.
The Budget Issue Paper also indicated that the City's technological capabilities limited this type of broadcast to meetings conducted in the Council Chambers, and that therefore the Council would occasionally need to weigh the importance of televising a particular study session against the importance of conducting that study session at a specific alternative venue (e.g., a dog park study session at Las Palmas Park or a library expansion study at the library). Council indicated its preference to "podcast" (i.e., make an audio recording available online) any Council study session conducted outside the Council Chambers, and to post online any related presentation materials when feasible.
No protocol was discussed or determined with regard to who would decide where a particular study session would be conducted, and given the potential for varied perspectives on this issue, staff is seeking Council direction.
EXISTING POLICY
From the City's General Plan:
Goal A: Achieve a community in which all community members are well informed about local issues, City programs and services.
Policy A.1: Assure that all community members have reasonable access to City information, services and programs within budgeted ...
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