There are a lot of meetings I would like to see recorded on video, or at least audio. I’ve already put a few of them up on Google video and Youtube for easier access.
Fog City Journal is protesting the mayors veto
and the Bay Guardian
and the SF Weekly where the below response was posted originally
Kimo Crossman says:
Mayor Gavin Newsom has Vetoed (linked below) Open Government legislation (introduced last November before any budget shortfall) claiming that a 76k salary in a $5,000,000,000+ budget in a year with a $350,000,000 shortfall was too much for Open Government that would allow citizens to listen online (possibly live) to digital recordings of meetings.
The legislation (linked below) would have required the digital recording (at least audio) of over 100 regular meetings (linked below) that occur in city hall for which some are tape recorded and many which are not recorded at all – generally affecting any meeting on the 4th floor. It was approved 7-4 by the Board of Supervisors and is set for an override vote Tuesday 5/13 – needing Supervisor Jack McGoldrick to change his vote to override. In the legislation, the digital recordings must be posted within 72 hours on the city website.
SFGTV (Jack Chin) and DTIS (Ron Vinson) and Media Services (Rohan Lane) on their on initiative have also included plans – not required in the legislation – to support live audio webcasting of the meetings as well. The level of webcasting of local government meeting is unprecedented Nationwide. The digital recording and webcasting is planned to occur in August 2008.
Contact Supervisor Jake McGoldrick and ask him to change his vote – he says he supports Sunshine but as Budget Chair is concerned about the budget shortfall.
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, Ca 94102-4689
(415) 554-7410 – voice
(415) 554-7415 – fax
Jake.McGoldrick@sfgov.org
FILES
Legislation: (Word 97 Win)
Meetings to be Recorded: (Excel 97 Win)
Veto Letter: (Word 97 Win)
More Background:
The SF Examiner (conservative) has already run two or three stories and SF Bay Guardian (progressive) will have an editorial on 5/7 for this innovative legislation sponsored by Mirkarimi which received a 7-4 approval by the board and now must go back for an override in which Supervisor McGoldrick will need to change his vote from No to Yes. His concern was about the two 0.5 FTE’s around 76k total that was needed to enabled this service. Much of the cost for this, DTIS has found other ways to pay for – like the capital cost of the servers from a Cable Franchise fund.
File # 071596
Watch video of item #18 on 4/15 meeting here:
http://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=10
From 4/15/08
071596 [Audio or video recording of public meetings held in City Hall hearing rooms] Supervisors Mirkarimi, Ammiano, Daly Ordinance amending Section 67.14 of the Administrative Code to require that any public meeting held in a City Hall hearing room that is equipped with audio or video recording facilities be audio or video recorded and to further require that such audio or video recording be made available for review on the City’s web site. Supervisor Elsbernd, seconded by Supervisor Alioto-Pier moved to refer File No. 071596 to committee.
The motion failed by the following vote:
Ayes: Alioto-Pier, Chu, Dufty, Elsbernd, McGoldrick
Noes: Ammiano, Daly, Maxwell, Mirkarimi, Peskin, Sandoval
PASSED ON FIRST READING by the following vote: Ayes: 6 – Ammiano, Daly, Dufty, Mirkarimi, Peskin, Sandoval
Noes: 5 – Alioto-Pier, Chu, Elsbernd, Maxwell, McGoldrick
From 4/22/08
http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_page.asp?id=79590
071596 [Audio or video recording of public meetings held in City Hall hearing rooms] Supervisors Mirkarimi, Ammiano, Daly Ordinance amending Section 67.14 of the Administrative Code to require that any public meeting held in a City Hall hearing room that is equipped with audio or video recording facilities be audio or video recorded and to further require that such audio or video recording be made available for review on the City’s web site. FINALLY PASSED by the following vote: Ayes: 7 – Ammiano, Daly, Dufty, Maxwell, Mirkarimi, Peskin, Sandoval
Noes: 3 – Alioto-Pier, Chu, Elsbernd
Excused: 1 – McGoldrick