On public openness

Mayor Lukes is suggesting that all standing committee meetings be held after work hours and at City Hall to be televised. An attempt to get more members of the public to them, it seems!

Mrs. Mullaney is standing to object; she says that taping their meeting at Tech cost several hundred dollars. "We're the school side, not the city side...DAB is the home of the School department. This is our place. Television cameras can lead to discussion that is more circumspect and guarded...grandstanding. I believe very strongly that a school system operates on a different timetable..." Speaks of principals and other school personnel on the agenda.."really onerous" for principals and others to come. "have a system that has worked well...would prefer not to tinker with a system that has worked well...many people would have to come on their own time and would have to be compensated. There are financial implications." Evenings are for families...She's asking that it be refered to Business.

Mr. Monfredo agrees philosophically...would like it refered to Administration for a cost breakdown.

Mr. O'Connell is standing to speak of openness in spending the public's money. "Our best alternative...is to present those to the public through television. Cable TV is our best means of accomplishing just that...step in the right direction." He's also wondering why it would cost money. Seconding the referral to Administration.

Mayor Lukes points out that subcommittee meetings are on the fourth floor of the DAB with no public television..."given the fact that this is the worst financial crisis in our lifetime...to give as much detail in our budget, agenda...for anyone to say that it's a burden deserves not to be in government...the burdens of being in public office are becoming much more...City Council has gotten involved in the schools...given those kinds of pressures, there is every argument that we have to be as open with the public as possible." On funding, the city has the contract with Charter in front of it. The school department gets money through it. She asks Brian Allen to explain how money we've gotten for educational access.

$215,000 a year from Charter. Used to support Channel 11 and Homework Hotline. Charges for the meeting spoken of by Mrs. Mullaney will be charged to that account (it isn't tax levy funds)

Back to the Mayor: the money is there to make the meetings public..."if we can have our School Committee meetings in City Hall at night, we can have our subcommittee meetings" at the same time and the same place. "We have a duty to be responsive to the public"

Mr. Monfredo asks if we can retrofit DAB with cameras...speaks of difficulty in scheduling City Hall. Mr. Allen will look into it.

Mr. Foley: nighttime is easier for me. If we were to use those dollars elsewhere, we'd be reallocating them. Mr. Allen: if we were to retrofit DAB, yes. If we were to use a school studio, then no, as that's what the money was allocated for in FY09 budget. Mr. Foley is concerned about impact on staff, also costs of hourly employees. Speaks of the televised budget meetings, for complete transparency in the budget process.

Back to Mr. O'Connell: could we have students to the filming?

Interm Superintendent Louglin stands to address this. Nice things to say about the students involved, involved in negotiating Charter contract.

Mayor Lukes is wondering why this is so difficult on the school side. "It seems there is a real resistance to change, and frankly, I find it disturbing."

Mrs. Mullaney "doesn't mean to be negative. i guess after years of experience of this...subcommittees that last 15 minutes...what math book to use...not that they aren't of interest to people...I meant nothing, I was not trying to be a contrarian about this, but if things have worked...perhaps on a case-by-case basis. Things don't rise to the level of being televised...take serious note of how we structure our subcommittee meetings."

Mr. Bogigian: agrees with televised meetings. Concerned with people coming to meetings, wouldn't it be easier for people to watch them at home? "I find it hard to believe that an adminstrator or teacher would object to coming to a meeting at night...we do this for the children. I agree with you. It should be televised"


Mayor is asking for a vote (refusing the referrals), amended to "other locations avaliable for taping": Motion passes, 4-3, as does reconsideration.