05-24-1994 CC RPT 34 - Laserfiche WebLink

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*Y or RIVERSIDE CITY COUNCIL MEMORANDUM HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: 1994 SUBJECT: FORMAT OF AGENDAS AND MINUTES ITEM NO.: 34 Background: The City Attorney presented a Brown Act workshop recently in which he presented the idea of an abbreviated agenda rather than the current agenda format which includes recommendations stated in full. An abbreviated agenda would reduce the number of pages resulting in a savings in paper, printing and occasional postage costs. Also, the agendas would be printed and distributed earlier as we wouldn't have to wait for last minute changes to recommendations. While the Brown Act now provides that the description of an agenda item can be limited to 20 words, the City Clerk's office has, in addition to creating a topical head- ing, been summarizing each staff report and inserting the summary as part of the agenda. A sample of an abbreviated agenda is attached to this report. The original agenda contained 5 pages, the abbreviated agenda contains 2 pages. With regard to minutes, I am currently publishing "summary" minutes (as opposed to "action", "conversational" or "verbatim" minutes), and would like to change to an "action" minutes format. A sample of the difference is shown on the at- tached minutes (current wording in strike-out, new wording in bold). The orig- inal minutes contained 14 pages, the "action only" minutes contain 9 pages. Each regular and special meeting of the City Council held in the Council Cham- ber is recorded and the audio tape is retained for a five-year period. In the event someone would want to listen to a particular City Council meeting or have a transcription made of the meeting, this can be done from the audio tape. Fiscal Imvact• There would be an undetermined amount of savings in the costs of paper, print- ing and postage (additional postage of 23 cents is required if the agenda con- tains more than 8 pages--we mail approximately 75 copies of the agenda to peo- ple who have furnished self-addressed, pre-stamped envelopes and to notify people who have matters on the agenda) in changing to an abbreviated agenda format, as well as savings in staff time. On average, it currently takes ap- proximately 2 hours of preparation time (Assistant City Clerk at $20.40 per hour), 8 hours of typing time (Deputy City Clerk at $14.64 per hour), 1 hour to proofread (Assistant City Clerk at $20.40 and City Clerk at $28.14 per hour) and 1.5 hours to make additions and/or corrections to finalize the agenda (Typ- ist Clerk at $10.92 per hour). Total weekly staff time cost, excluding fringe benefits, is estimated at $222.84. There would also be a savings in the cost of paper and printing, as well as savings in staff time, in preparing "action" minutes. On average, it currently takes approximately 4 hours to draft the minutes (2 hours for City Clerk at $28.14 per hour and 2 hours for Deputy City Clerk at $14.64 per hour), 3 hours to type the minutes in final form (Typist Clerk at $10.92 per hour), 3 hours to proofread final minutes (1 hour for City Clerk at $28.14 per hour and Assistant City Clerk at $20.40 per hour; 1 hour for Senior Deputy City Clerk at $14.27 per hour; and 1 hour for Administrative Clerk at $12.04 per hour). Total week- ly staff time cost, excluding fringe benefits, is estimated at $193.17. .nq5 F t 4