CC SR 20200421 03 - Satellite Locations for Public Participation in Meetings
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 04/21/2020
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business
AGENDA DESCRIPTION:
Consideration and possible action to receive and file a report on the use of technology
to enhance City services and public participation
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file a report on the use of technology to enhance City services and
public participation in City meetings; and,
(2) Provide further direction to Staff.
FISCAL IMPACT: None at this time.
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Lukasz Buchwald, IT Manager
REVIEWED BY: Same as below
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
City Hall traditionally serves as a central location for residents, business owners,
vendors and contractors to obtain or submit necessary documents and permits, or
submit inquiries to City Staff. City Hall, as well as other City facilities such as Hesse
Park and the Point Vicente Interpretive Center (PVIC), are where public meetings
generally occur. In July 2019, Mayor Cruikshank requested City Staff explore using
technology to make City services and public meetings easier to access to the general
public, particularly for those residing on the eastern side of the City’s boundary limits or
for those with mobility limitations.
While Staff was exploring using technology to enhance City services, such as
expanding the filing of e-permits for construction activity, the emergence of COVID-19
accelerated the discussion internally. In response to the COVI D-19 health crisis and the
related orders, as a means to maintain operations at City Hall, including conducting
public meetings and issuing construction permits, the City immediately shifted most
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business to a digital platform to minimize in-person interactions. For example, City
Council and other City meetings have been conducted virtually using the Zoom video
conference platform, and permit activity is being accepted electronically through email
and partly through the City’s existing permit tracking system. Despite the challenges
that have come with implementing these measures so quickly without having any time
to vet the logistics, City business, albeit at a significantly lower rate, is being maintained.
To that point and from what Staff has observed to date, this report will focus on the
following areas where technology could enhance how City business is conducted when
normal operations return:
1) Public participation
2) City services
Public Participation
Public participation is paramount to conducting business in Rancho Palos Verdes. On a
weekly basis, either the City Council or Planning Commission conduct public hearings.
Additionally, other City committees and boards conduct meetings that involve some
form of public participation. Based on the City’s experience with virtual meetings that
have occurred over the past few weeks, the following options may allow public
participation to occur on an on-going basis using technology:
A. Satellite location(s)
B. Moderated online meeting room
C. Pre-recorded video or voice comments
A. Satellite Location(s)
Some cities utilize teleconferencing to allow the public to participate remotely from a
branch location (a library is a common choice), so some participants can travel shorter
distances to participate in a meeting venue. This practice is common for cities where
information technology (IT) staff can be located at satellite locations with a robust
internet connection. The feasibility of this option should consider the following:
Teleconferencing technology options exist to establish a two-way, real-time high
definition (HD) audio and video connection between Hesse Park and a chosen
satellite location.
Identifying a suitable location on the east side of the City that would meet all
required criteria and be equipped to serve as a satellite location may be
challenging and could cost between $10,000 and $18,000 per year for internet
circuit and teleconference equipment. Additionally, leasing a space may add to
the cost.
Staffing the satellite location would be required during the meeting and would
consist of at least someone from the City Clerk’s and IT office. Staffing costs,
including overtime and consultants, may need to be considered.
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B. Moderated Online Meeting Room
The public could submit comments and questions via online chat during the meeting,
which could be read at an appropriate time by the City Clerk. This has been
implemented for virtual meetings due to the COVID-19 health crisis and may continue to
occur to a certain degree without the use of video. The feasibility of this option should
consider the following:
Procedures would need to be established in regard to chat monitoring and
moderation. The public could submit written comments and questions via online
chat during the meeting, which could be read at an appropriate time by the City
Clerk.
Utilizing an online tool always carries an inherit risk. An oversight or an unknown
vulnerability could be exploited to compromise the integrity of the meeting.
The anonymity provided by the internet often enables “troll” comments, which
aim to sow discord by posting inflammatory and digressive comments with the
intent of provoking readers into delivering emotional responses.
This option is limited to online chat only (not video) because it would put a huge
burden on staff resources and the integration into our current systems would
require adding several other devices and connections to an already unusually
complex audio/video setup at the Hesse Park.
A satellite location would not necessarily be needed provided the user has the
technological setup, including bandwidth, to participate from their own space.
C. Pre-Recorded Video or Voice Comments
A pre-recorded video or voice file (via voicemail or voice recording) can be submitted to
the City Clerk (maximum 3 minutes in length) and played on the screen/sound system
during the meeting at the appropriate time. The feasibility of this option should consider
the following:
A video file would allow for the speaker to deliver the comment in a more natural
way. Emotions, facial expressions and body language could been seen.
RPVtv could potentially assist with recording a message if someone wants to
come to City Hall during business hours (this could be an option if someone can’t
make it to the meeting or if the meeting runs too late).
The video/audio comment playback could be easily incorporated into the meeting
using existing technology and procedures.
Call-in comments may be received by potentially utilizing the analog phone line
that is sometimes used by the City Council to participate remotely. However, the
current phone system can only accommodate one speaker/user at a time. If more
than one participant is requesting to call-in, Staff could call the speaker when it is
their time to speak.
City Services
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There are several areas where significant opportunities exist to help streamline access
to traditional services provided by in-person visits to City Hall. The City already has a
solid foundation in place in the form of a modern and robust permitting system, more
commonly known as Trakit, and utilized by the Community Development and Public
Works departments. However, there are other technology platforms, which can also be
utilized to achieve the goal to reduce in-person activity at City Hall. While adopting a
new technology platform is often a lengthy and costly process, which often requires
substantial changes to some of the organization’s business processes, a significant
effort has already been put in place enabling several new online capabilities to be
implemented fairly quickly utilizing Trakit. It should be noted that the implementation and
configuration of Trakit requires specialized knowledge, which would entail hiring a
consultant to assist Staff to fully utilize this software. At this time, Staff is seeking a cost
proposal from the vendor, CentralSquare, and will include this line item in the Fiscal
Year 2020-21 proposed budget. Lastly, a current City Council goal exists that sets a
target of at least 20% of all permits to be processed online by the end of FY 20-21.
The recommended areas of focus to expand current online capabilities are as follows:
A. Permits and projects
B. Business licenses
C. Online payment
It should be noted that because this has been an ongoing project, rather than exploring
these options further, an update on the current status is provided below.
A. Permits and Projects
The City is in the final stages of a proof -of-concept project utilizing the eTrakit online
platform, which would enable online application and processing for some of the most
common and basic permits. Following successful internal tests, selected online permit
application submissions will be opened to vendors and the public by July 2020
(assuming operations return to normal business in May). The long-term plan is to
gradually and steadily expand the portfolio of available online permits to minimize the
need to visit City Hall. In order to prepare for the fully-digital future process and
minimize the impact on the environment, City Staff has already started utilizing the
software to review plans and documentation electronically.
B. Business Licenses
While the City already has an online application and payment portal for business
licenses, Staff is in the process of enabling eTrakit to fully take over that functionality by
end of May 2020. This will help streamline the internal Finance Department process of
accepting and tracking payments and keep everything under one roof including sending
correspondence out to businesses (the Trakit platform).
C. Online Payments
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An eTrakit-integrated payment portal has already been configured and is ready to
accept payments when the eTrakit platform is open to the public and vendors. All
applicants should be able to pay any fees online in conjunction with a permit or a project
available through eTrakit website.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends the City Council consider the options for using technology to
enhance public participation and City services and provide further direction to Staff.
Based on available public participation options, current staffing levels and the current
capabilities at Hesse Park, enabling the submission of audio or video files to offer the
additional way to provide comments during public meetings is feasible.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative action is available for
the City Council’s consideration:
1. Discuss and take other action related to this item.
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