Putting city business online

• Bay Area communities are distributing information about the nuts and bolts of government via the Internet

ONLINE INFORMATION

A list of Bay Area cities online can be found at www.abag.ca.gov. Click on Local Government and go to Bay Area Cities.

To receive free e-mailed Concord agendas, e-mail the Concord Neighborhood Alliance at Alliance@value.net. In the body of the message, type "subscribe agendas" and include your first and last name.

BY TRUONG PHUOC
TIMES STAFF WRITER

As cities discover the wonderful public relations engine called cyberspace, a surprising number post on their Web sites not only panoramic vistas and downtown skylines, but also the nuts and bolts of city government that would please any City Hall watchdog.

Three-quarters of cities and towns in the Times' circulation area publish online meeting agendas -- even minutes -- of city councils and boards and commissions. Sometimes Joe Q. Public gets a peek of city business before council members peruse the hard copies.

Click on Berkeley's home page and read that city leaders will review a petition to ban sitting and lying on public sidewalks between 8 a.m. and midnight. Navigate to Dublin and find officials want to consolidate local elections with the state's general elections.

"The agendas are the road map for how the council deliberates city business," said Walnut Creek public information officer Brad Rovanpera. "When we created our Web site, it was with the idea we would make this information available so people wouldn't have to call the city clerk for what's on the agenda. It was a natural thing to do."

But it wasn't natural in Concord, whose 2½-year-old Web site lags behind with a half-dozen others in Contra Costa County that don't post agendas on the Internet.

Sensing an unmet need, the Concord Neighborhood Alliance has stepped in and offered to send agendas to anyone who asks -- for free -- via e-mail.

"It's a real pain in the butt to go down and get the agendas on a regular basis. Then you find meetings have been canceled; it's just a headache," said alliance President Marcus O'Connell. "Having them come into your home, as e-mail, is really convenient."

The group e-mails agendas to about 10 alliance members. O'Connell said it would take no extra time, effort or money to add 100 or 1,000 subscribers to his folder and click "Send."

Though the group offers the freebie to raise public involvement in local governance, O'Connell said the city should be the primary disseminator of such information. After all, he said, Concord's city manager comes from Sunnyvale, which has one of the more deluxe city Web sites around, featuring agendas, minutes of meetings and e-mail addresses for all city departments. Concord's has none of that.

Adding to Sunnyvale's four-star reputation: It was the only one, in a survey of two dozen Web sites in the region, that attached staff reports to council and commission agenda items, detailing the background and history of the subject. San Francisco's offers legislative analyst reports.

Not interactive

Mardie Traver, Concord's manager of administrative services who occasionally tweaks the Web page's contents, said it wasn't designed to be highly sophisticated.

"Our site was developed as a low maintenance site, so that we wouldn't have to do frequent updates," Traver said. The site answers frequently asked questions. "It was not meant to be interactive."

Concord honors residents' requests for e-mailed agendas, but in the past 1½ years, Traver said, she's fielded perhaps 10 requests, most of them from the same person.

"To me, it doesn't seem like a high priority," Traver said. "It doesn't seem (agendas) are a real big item to put on the Net."

As a City Council committee meets next month to evaluate the Web site, Mayor Mark Peterson said the city would look into online agendas even "if there is not overwhelming interest."

An admitted non-techie, Peterson said he has questions.

"Is it worth the time and money and effort? I don't know how much time and effort it would take."

None, said Rovanpera, Walnut Creek's Webmaster.

"It takes me all of two minutes," he said. "Even if a handful of people access it, it justifies it. It doesn't cost us anything."

Staff members type the agendas on computers, and the information is e-mailed to Rovanpera, who copies it onto the Web page.

When it comes to posting council votes and actions, known as the minutes, Walnut Creek is a cyberstep ahead of Oakland and San Francisco.

City Clerk Ceda Floyd said Oakland will soon be adding meeting minutes to the agendas now available online. That effort would probably get a nod from Mayor-elect Jerry Brown, she said,

"I know he's very in tune and supportive of technology and having government access to everybody at every level," Floyd said.

Antioch, Benicia, El Cerrito, Livermore, Moraga, Pleasanton and San Pablo are among cities that can boast both agendas and minutes on their Web sites. Those that offer only agendas: Danville, Lafayette, Orinda and San Ramon.

Sooner online

Online agendas reduce calls to City Hall, said Dave Anderson, assistant town manager in Danville.

"Many people now are turning to the Web instead of subscribing to the physical mailing list because they get it sooner," he said.

But Danville opted not to go the next step and put minutes online, because, Anderson said, Web consultants and studies show there's little demand.

Richmond expected to join the agenda-online wave by the end of last week.

But cities shouldn't be judged only by agendas and minutes, said Mark Hamilton, Richmond's information technology program director.

"Every community has different interests and demographics," Hamilton said. "We've been focused on human resources, job postings, recreational and cultural services."

Pinole has the interest, but not the money or staff for online agendas, said Dawn Abrahamson, deputy city clerk.

"With our budget situation here, we don't have the staffing time to do anything like that," Abrahamson said.

While some cities said staffing and resources are factors holding them back, Martinez has for months posted agendas online without the help of e-mail. They're faxed to a Web consultant, said Martinez Police Chief Greg Agresta.

"It's important to the council and the city manager that we be as accessible as possible and keep people informed," said Agresta, whose department shepherded the online effort because officers had the know-how.

Even though Brentwood is ahead of the curve with online agendas and minutes, Mayor John Morrill applauded Concord residents' do-it-yourself effort and suggested others may follow.

"I think it's kind of neat," Morrill said. "Maybe one of our groups may be interested in getting that to others who don't have Internet access."

O'Connell, who will be the chief agenda e-mailer, promised those who subscribe to the service will not be pestered by mass-mailing marketers. It's about public access, he said, not private profit.

"We want them to get the agenda, see what interests them, what affects their lives, and show up and be part of the process."