Supervisors OK Funds to Tape Meetings

After debating for years whether to tape their meetings, supervisors Tuesday finally approved $284,000 a year for a 12-month contract to videotape meetings for cable television.

The 4-1 vote, with Supervisor Jim Silva dissenting, allows the county to negotiate a contract with Network Television Time of Los Angeles to rent equipment and tape board meetings. The firm also tapes meetings of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

But don’t turn your sets on yet.

The county has no production facilities and must first remodel a control room and install cables and additional power lines.

“We expect to be taping the meetings by early November,” said Diane Thomas, a county spokeswoman.

In February, the county completed a pilot program to tape three meetings. Though regarded as successful, the idea of televising meetings had long faced opposition from a majority of supervisors, who don’t believe it’s necessary.

When county staff proposed a five-year contract that would have lessened production costs in the long run, it was rejected.

Chairman Chuck Smith had questioned whether cable companies would show meetings, while Supervisor Cynthia P. Coad was concerned about cost. Both later changed their votes after supervisors agreed to televise meetings for only 12 months with the option to terminate the contract if viewership showed a lack of interest.

Silva has consistently voted against the proposal, saying he preferred televised meetings to be market-driven rather than produced with taxpayer funds.

“When we first started looking into it, it was going to cost $140,000 and now we’re up to $280,000 and in my opinion it’s going to be closer to $500,000 when we get it. When we talk about financial shortfalls, I have a hard time supporting that money,” Silva said.

He added that he did not have a problem with televised meetings, but that his supervisorial office “is not getting a lot of pressure to have meetings televised.”

To help evaluate whether the televised meetings are successful, staff will conduct surveys by e-mail and voice mail for public opinion. The telephone number and e-mail address will be included in the opening and closing segments of each tape.

Programming directors will also be asked to log any comments and assist in gathering public comment.

In other business, supervisors postponed voting on a lease with the Navy for the former El Toro Marine base. On Friday, Smith and Supervisor Tom Wilson announced agreement on a lease proposal that allows the county to generate revenue by charging rent to community programs and put aside the bigger issue of aviation until environmental impact reports are completed.

On Monday, some last-minute changes to the lease were completed but not all documents were received from the Navy in time to vote, a county spokesman said.

As a result of the delay, 30-day notices to vacate the premises for such groups as those using the horse stables, RV parking, child-care facilities and other community programs, will be sent out this week, said Rob Richardson, the newly selected director of the El Toro planning office.

Originally, the county faced a July 1 deadline to complete its lease but won a 60-day extension to Sept. 1. Richardson characterized the notices as “unfortunate,” but mandatory under a landlord-tenant agreement for those programs at the base.

Supervisors are expected to vote on the lease at the board’s next meeting Aug. 8.