La Palma residents might be able to start watching city council meetings from home as leaders take steps to install video live streaming equipment in the council chambers.
It’s one of the smallest Orange County cities with about 15,000 residents. It’s also one of two cities in the county that stream city council meetings with audio only.
Every other Orange County city — 32 others — all livestream city council meeting video so residents can follow along remotely. In La Palma and Rancho Santa Margarita, residents can only listen in through an audio stream.
[Read: Why Won’t Officials in Two OC Cities Video Livestream Their Public Meetings?]
That might be changing in La Palma after council members told city staff to look into installing equipment in the council chambers that would allow them to livestream council meeting video.
It comes after one council member tried to get the ball rolling on this change over a year ago.
Councilmember Janet Keo Conklin previously tried to push her colleagues toward implementing video livestreams after repeated calls from the community, but she didn’t receive support from the rest of the council.
[Read: No Plans in Sight for Video Streaming in La Palma]
During a meeting earlier this month, council members unanimously directed the city manager to return at a future meeting with options for adding video conferencing equipment in the city council chambers.
That vote was part of a larger effort to align the city with new state law regarding public meetings for local government bodies in California.
The changes, part of a state bill known as SB 707, require cities to provide options for the public to participate in meetings through a two-way remote attendance platform.
That means residents must be able to listen in to meetings remotely, and they also must be able to remotely participate in meetings, like giving a public comment.
It also comes after residents in Rancho Santa Margarita are taking matters into their own hands and recording council meetings themselves using cell phones and tripods.
[Read: Rancho Santa Margarita Officials Resist Livestreaming City Council Meeting Video]
In the South OC city, a group of residents known as RSM4All take turns videotaping their local city council meetings and uploading them to their Youtube channel — Rancho Santa Margarita Citizens 4 Transparency.
[Read: Santana: Putting Politicians on Notice in Rancho Santa Margarita]
SB 707, which updated California’s open meetings law known as the Brown Act, doesn’t necessarily require a video component, but La Palma officials decided to look into adding that option in anticipation of future state legislation that could require it eventually.
“In addition, staff anticipates that, in the future, the Legislature will ultimately mandate that city councils provide video feeds of their meetings,” reads the staff report included with the meeting agenda.
“Therefore, staff recommends the City install video conferencing equipment in the City Council Chambers and requests that the City Council direct the City Manager to return to a future Council Meeting with options for installing video conferencing equipment in the City Council Chambers.”
La Palma is subject to SB 707 because it’s located in a county with more than 600,000 residents.
The bill requires cities to implement the required changes to their open meetings before July 1.
It also requires updates like language translation for meeting agenda materials and heightened public outreach in addition to two-way remote public access.
During the council’s meeting on April 7, Mayor Nitesh Patel supported adding a video component.
He said he wants to make a decision about implementing video livestreaming before the council’s August meeting.
“While we go through this process — I think it’s a great thing to do it,” Mayor Patel said. “I’d like to see video implemented by Aug. 1 or to be brought back by Aug. 1.”
[Read: La Palma Residents Push for City Council Meeting Video Livestreams]
He said he wants staff to pursue bids from vendors for the council to consider before their meeting in August.
Angelina Hicks is the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service Editor. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.