I asked in March 2004 that Committee meetings be televised and the Mayor 
instructed the manager to "look into videotaping them and get back to him at 
budget time."  Well, these meetings are relevant now and it isn't right that 
we have to wait until budget time to watch them.

The Village Council are routinely approving management, consultant and 
lobbyist contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars per year while 
hesitating and delaying approving something that is really low cost and 
which would directly benefit the people.

Officer Mora is doing a great job at recording just about everything that's 
shown on Channel 16 and there has never been a public discussion about how 
much this cost.  But, if you have to make a choice on programming because of 
lack of money, I would suggest that the Council put some other, less 
important, programming on hold until budget time.

Televising public committee meetings is an increasing trend all over the 
country and nothing I have dreamed up.  Local governments nationwide spend 
millions trying to "get their message out" and, we have a great tool here in 
Channel 16 that the Council is in charge of.  The public want to see what 
the committees the Council has created are doing.  The Committees are a 
direct extension of the Council because all members are appointed by them 
(well, at least of the Mayor because he picks them) and the work they are 
doing is important for the community and certainly well worth watching.

Also, televising Committee meetings will lessen the risk of the public 
getting the wrong messages and, I believe, meetings seen by the public will 
be more highly thought of.  And, it's not so much that people want to go and 
voice opinions - it's more that people want to see what plans are made on an 
ongoing basis.  As we saw during the Crandon Beautification meetings people 
did not attend and going to one or two meetings doesn't quite cut it if you 
want to be informed.

One lady said in the Islander that if you want to be involved and included 
in the process you have to physically attend these meetings.  I don't' think 
so, this is the Information Age - technology has advanced so that's not 
necessary.

Finally, please don't think these meetings are boring and why would anyone 
want to watch them - public meetings are being televised all over the 
country because people have demanded it and it's now a part of life and we 
want it here on Key Biscayne as well and we want it sooner rather than 
later.

Contractors (out of?) Control

Key Biscayne Firefighters desire to have fully manned firetrucks

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