Chief Administrative Officer
Director of Internal Services

At its meeting held August 27, 2002, the Board took the following action:

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Supervisor Yaroslavsky made the following statement:

"On March 26, 2002 the Board, on my motion, instructed the Executive Officer of the Board to work with the Chief Administrative Officer and the Director of Internal Services, to develop a cost estimate to implement a project to put an official transcript and corresponding video segments of Board meetings on the Internet within 24 hours of the conclusion of the meetings.

"This project would allow the public to go to any portion of the Board meeting and read only the transcript of that item, or watch and hear the actual discussion. The staff study found that the project would be a complex one requiring careful integration of services by both the Internal Services Department (ISD), which maintains the County's Internet website, and Network Television Time (NTT) Inc., the contractor that televises our Board meetings. The estimated cost of the project is $83,545 for start-up ($48,545 ISD; $35,000 NTT) and $90,847 ($36,847 ISD; $54,000 NTT) in annual ongoing expenses.

"There are several important benefits that a video-transcript would provide: a verbatim transcript, certified and notarized by a California court reporter; a broadcast which can be reviewed by the public at any time; timely access to actions taken by the Board; a search capability to allow the public to easily find information by topic; and an on-line archive of Board meetings, serving both as a valuable research tool and as an

important historical reference. As such, this is another significant step forward in this Board's continuing effort to further open up County government to public scrutiny and participation.

"Having ready access to an official transcript would also be valuable to County Counsel and the Executive Office, and would offset the substantial costs now incurred in providing such transcripts on a customized premium basis."

Therefore, on motion of Supervisor Yaroslavsky, seconded by Supervisor Molina, unanimously carried, Board took the following actions:

1. Instructed the Chief Administrative Officer to work with County Counsel to amend the contract with Network Television Time, Inc., for televising the Board of Supervisors' meetings to provide the technical assistance to implement a video-transcript project which would put an official transcript and corresponding video segments of the Board's meetings on the Internet within 24 hours of the conclusion of the meetings; and

2. Instructed the Director of Internal Services to provide the equipment, maintenance and support to develop and maintain the project; and designate the Cable Television Franchise Fund as the source of funding for the project, at an estimated total startup cost of $83,545 and a total annual ongoing expense of $90,847.

8082702-15

Copies distributed:

Each Supervisor
County Counsel