Carmel-by-the-Sea California - Official City Website: A Deterrent to an Informed Citizenry

Given that an informed citizenry is crucial to the proper functioning of a participatory democracy, it is disturbing that the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea does not have a complete and up-to-date website, including Agendas & Minutes for all Commissions.

As of Tuesday, 19 December 2006, a Summary of the City’s Website regarding the City’s Commissions/Board Agendas & Minutes:

Planning Commission
January 11, 2006 – December 13, 2006
No Minutes for June 14, September 13, October 11, 2006.
Note: Between January 10, 2001 (first entry) and December 2006, there are 26 omitted Meeting Minutes of a total of 98 Meeting Minutes, excluding December 2006, for an omission rate of 27%.

Design Review Board
February 1, 2006 – December 2006
No Minutes for April 26 (Regular Meeting), June 28, September 27, October 25, November 15.
Note: Between January 23, 2002 and December 20, 2006, there are 18 omitted Meeting Minutes of a total of 55 Meeting Minutes, excluding December 2006, for an omission rate of 33%.

Historic Resources Board
January 23, 2006 – December 2006
No Minutes for March 20, April 17, May 15, May 22, June 19, June 26, July 17, August 21, September18, October 18, November 20, 2006.
No Agenda for December 2006.
Note: Between April 19, 2001 and November 20, 2006, there are 24 omitted Meeting Minutes of a total of 47 Meeting Minutes, for an omission rate of 51%.
Note: The web site title “Carmel-by-the-Sea Historic Preservation Committee Agendas & Minutes” is incorrect; it is now the Historic Resources Board, since LCP certification in 2004.

Forest & Beach Commission
January 5, 2006 – December 7, 2006
No Minutes for June 1, August 3, September 7, October 5, 2006.
Note: Between January 3, 2002 and 2006, there are 13 omitted Meeting Minutes of a total of 56 Meeting Minutes, excluding December 7, 2006, for an omission rate of 23%.

Community Activities & Cultural Commission
January 18, 2006 – December 2006.
No Minutes for October 12, November 9, 2006.
No Agenda for December 2006.
Note: Between January 24, 2005 and November 9, 2006, there are 5 omitted Meeting Minutes of a total of 21 Meeting Minutes, for an omission rate of 24%.

Harrison Memorial Library Board of Trustees
January 18, 2006 – August 22, 2006
No Agendas or Minutes for Meetings after August 2006, i.e., September, October November, December 2006.
Note: Between October 26, 2995 and August 22, 2006, the agendas and minutes are complete.

COMMENTS:

• Qualitatively, City Council, Commissions and Board Minutes are not descriptive or informative; for example, public speakers’ words are not recorded verbatim or paraphrased so that the public has a sense of the content of their remarks---for public meetings and governmental hearings, this is often done.

• While the City Council Agenda & Minutes Packets are usually on the website by Monday, or the day before the Tuesday Regular Meeting, the CarmelAgendaPacketDecember2006 was not available on the City’s website until days after the Tuesday, 5 December 2006 meeting. And Special Meetings are not always posted on the City’s website; the 29 November 2006 City Council Special Meeting, for example, was not posted on the City’s website.

• Omission rates between 23% and 51% for the four Commissions and 1 Board are unacceptable; the city’s website should have all agendas and minutes on the city’s website.

• For $100,000, the City currently contracts with the advertising firm, Anda- Burghardt Advertising, Inc., to promote and market the city. Interestingly, Anda- Burghardt assumed the old official city website URL, http://www.carmelcalifornia.com/. The website that Michael Adamson, a Carmel Chamber of Commerce member, stated some were dismayed about because the Anda-Burghardt website is similar to and “in competition with” the Chamber’s website.
Note: Carmel Chamber of Commerce website, http://www.carmelcalifornia.org/.

• If Anda-Burghardt failed to maintain an up-to-date website promoting and marketing Carmel-by-the-Sea, like the City fails to maintain an up-to-date and complete website, i.e., Commissions and Board Agendas & Minutes, would the city be satisfied with that level of commercial service for $100,000? What does the lack of complete and up-to-date information on the City’s website communicate to residents of Carmel-by-the-Sea?

• Contact with one city employee about a request to maintain an up-to-date website produced the response; the City is not legally required to do that.

• A request to a liaison city staff member for up-to-date minutes on the website was ignored.