When Trustee Neil Wallace brought forth a motion to have special meetings taped and broadcasted on the local cable access channel, his request was denied by a 5-2 vote.
‘I have learned over the course of the last special meetings that we’ve had this spring, that there is apparently an unspoken directive or policy that precludes the recording of special meetings of the board,? he said at the July 7 meeting. ‘I think to provide information and transparency to the public all our board meetings should be recorded and broadcasted by the cable department.?
Supervisor Dave Wagner said it wasn’t in the budget, which would cost close to $80,000 to hire a full-time person with fringe benefits. He also said they don’t tape the special meetings because those meeting are ‘basically workshops.?
‘Something where we sit around in a different type of an atmosphere, roll our sleeves up,? he said. ‘Nothing is being hidden from the public because they are posted, right out there and it’s an additional expense that we’re going to impose on the general fund, which the general fund cannot afford.?
According to Wagner in a later interview, $80,000 of Clarkston Public Access Center’s (CPAC) allotted $90,000 budget for the year has been spent and there is only $4,500 left in the part-time payroll budget.
Wagner also noted at the July, 7 meeting that special meetings don’t include the ‘personalities? that are shown on camera.
Clerk Shelagh VanderVeen agreed.
‘I believe that our workshops are more productive because we go straight to the issues and personalities are not part of the drama so to speak,? she said.
Treasurer Curt Carson said he appreciated the ‘open dialogue? in the workshop setting and thought the board was ‘much less inhibited and could dive deep? into the issues.
‘I think we need to spend that time concentrating on the issues at hand,? Carson said. ‘As opposed to worrying about what you’re saying on camera.?
Trustee Mark Petterson said he could care less about personalities, but he did care about the cost.
‘He’s (Andy Reish, CPAC program director) already spent 80 percent of his part-time wages. Most of that is contributed to the amount of our special meetings that we’ve been having,? Petterson said. ‘Although very necessary, I think we need to collaborate a little bit more understanding how much time were going to have at special meetings. ‘Furthermore, this board is dangerously close to being over budget itself.?
Wagner said there is $10,000 left out the allotted $24,000 budget to pay trustees for meetings.
Trustee Larry Rosso also said the cost matter was a ‘very considerable thing? he weighs in the matter.
‘When were reviewing each of the budgets for each of the departments, we have to be in a scale back mode,? he said. ‘We haven’t agreed how we’re going to do it or how much in term of dollars and cents, but we’re scaling back.?
Trustee David Lohmeier, said he too was concerned with transparency, but disagreed the cameras played any factor in personalities.
‘I don’t think this is a function of the cameras, I don’t think this intimidates anybody, I think it’s a function of sitting around the table in a much more casual atmosphere,? he said. ‘I don’t think if you started taping us back there that the behavior would be that much different.?
Wallace agreed.
‘The camera doesn’t change anything of how I operate or what I have to say, it doesn’t bother me, in fact we’ve had special meetings where there has been a camera, we’ve had private recordings of special meetings, and that in my judgment doesn’t change anything,? Wallace said. ‘Democracy is an ugly and sometimes expensive process, but it is still a democracy.?
Lohmeier said he wanted to be sensitive to the budget cost as well and didn’t want any more increases.
‘I’ll go back in the room and flip the camera on, so we have a DVD they can run on local access, this can’t be that hard guys,? he said ‘Come on, we just don’t want to do it.?