Santa Monica’s Portables Make City Business Easy to Compute

Alan S. Katz works in a high-tech world.

There’s an IBM personal computer in one room of his Fox Hills office and a Compaq portable in another. A sophisticated printer spews data and his shelves are lined with glossy periodicals such as PC Magazine and PC World.

Katz calls the expensive machines tools of his trade, which is group health insurance. But his favorite piece of equipment has nothing to do with the insurance business. It’s a nine-pound portable computer that links the Santa Monica city councilman to a broad network of City Hall colleagues.

“There’s much less need for phone calls,” said Katz, who uses the small city-owned computer to check the council agenda, set his schedule, communicate with city staff and send messages to other council members. “It’s absolutely wonderful to have and it has proven to be very useful.”

Officials said Santa Monica is the first and only municipality in California with a computerized council. The tiny machines were given to council members in 1984 and have become a primary method of communication.

Ken Phillips, the city’s information systems director, said the computers have helped revolutionize the way the council works by freeing members from their desks and telephones. He said council members carry their computers home at night and some even take them on long-distance business trips.

“The computers have improved communication substantially,” Phillips said. “When you are on the electronic mail system (the method for sending and receiving messages) you literally have the city at your fingertips.”

Mayor Christine E. Reed said the idea of giving the computers to the council came from former City Manager John Alschuler Jr., who argued that council members and department heads would benefit from the ability to link up to the city’s main computer system at any time of the day or night.

The city purchased the Hewlett-Packard 110 computers, which cost about $3,000 each, 18 months ago. Reed said some council members were blase about the idea at first. But she said their attitudes changed when they realized that the machines could be so useful.

“It allows you to clear things out of the holding bin of your brain,” Reed said. “You’re communicating at your convenience and receiving things at your convenience. It has also enabled the council members to communicate without having to deal with intermediaries such as secretaries.”

“I find that they’re great for day-to-day stuff,” said Councilman Dennis Zane. “They’re especially good for relaying information about citizen complaints and communicating directly with our staff.”

The computers, which are smaller than most typewriters, can be carried like a briefcase. When someone like Zane wants to send messages or check up on city business, he simply plugs his machine into a telephone jack and punches in a code that electronically connects him to the main computer at City Hall.

The computer is then capable of several sophisticated functions. A council member can forward a citizen complaint about the sidewalks or trash collection to City Manager John Jalili or seek a legal opinion from City. Atty. Robert M. Myers. He can add items to a council agenda and forward a message to any or all of his council colleagues.

Councilman David G. Epstein said he recently used his computer to file a report against a reckless bus driver. Councilman William H. Jennings said he takes his computer on out-of-town business trips. Katz said he often takes his computer to bed and attends to council business before going to sleep.

“It’s very effective for people who have other jobs,” said Epstein, an attorney who works in Orange County. “Normally, if you want to talk to someone you have to track him down or send a memo. But that can take two or three days. This way you know you’ll get an answer.”

Phillips, Santa Monica’s computer specialist, said council members send about 100 messages a week. He said the system employs four separate levels of security, but added that some officials still worry about using their computers for anything confidential.

“Security is obviously an issue and a concern for everyone,” Phillips said. “And we do our best to make sure that people don’t access the computer without authorization. But if someone is determined to break the laws, there are probably ways he can do it.”

With that in mind, some council members said they still conduct their most important conversations in person. Zane said the computers can’t replace the telephone or face-to-face meetings when it comes to discussing complex issues.

“There are some highly confidential things that I probably don’t put on it,” said Epstein. “But I’m pretty free with it.” Councilman Herbert Katz added, “I’ve used it for confidential stuff. But I’m not too comfortable with it.”

“I feel that some judgment should be used,” Reed said, “because all of our messages are retained on a master tape.”

Reed said, however, that the council has become so computer-oriented that officials risk being uninformed if they don’t use their machines.

“If a person didn’t use it, he would be left out of things,” Reed said. “It would be the same thing as not reading your mail.”