Planning Commission Meetings to Be Televised

In an effort to involve Ventura residents in the city planning process and make government more accountable, the Planning Commission meetings will be televised beginning in April.

“This will cause our meetings to change by increasing public interest in the planning process,” said Ted Temple, Planning Commission chairman, who added that he hopes television coverage will make the planning process more proactive, and less reactive.

The City Council approved the plans Monday night. The city also intends to soon begin televising school board meetings, said Mayor Jack Tingstrom.

The commission meetings will be televised by two local cable television companies--Avenue Communications and Century Communications. Each company’s franchise agreement with Ventura requires it to provide 40 hours of city programming.

Steve George, general manager for Avenue Communications, said the city currently uses anywhere from 60% of its allotted time, to exceeding the 40 hours. It depends on how controversial the issues are that come before the City Council and the length of its meetings.

Council meetings have been televised for more than 20 years, George said, adding that although there are no formal ratings he knows a lot of people watch.

“It is one of the more popular events we have on the cable system,” he said. “When I am walking out and about in the community, I hear people talking about what they saw last night on the council meeting.”

George and Temple said it has been the mayor and City Manager Donna Landeros who have pushed to have the Planning Commission meetings televised.

“The Planning Commission and the school board meetings are the next two important meetings for the people to see,” Tingstrom said. “They give people a heads up about what’s coming, before it comes to the council.”

The Planning Commission and the Ventura Unified School District board of trustees both meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month.

If all goes well, Tingstrom said, under the new televised schedule, the Planning Commission will switch its meeting to the first and third Tuesdays of the month, and the school board would continue to meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays.

Temple said Monday that his panel would be willing to change its meeting days to accommodate the school board, which would have to move its sessions into the council chambers--the only room in City Hall wired for such broadcasts.