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MIN CC 09/15/2009 workshopCITY COUNCIL MEETING of September 15, 2009 BOOK "U" MINUTES FROM THE HUNTSVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON THE 15TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2009, The Council met in a workshop with the following: COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: J. Turner, Tom Cole, Charles Forbus, Melissa Mahaffey, Lanny Ray, Mac Woodward, Jack Wagamon, Wayne Barrett and Dalene Zander OFFICERS PRESENT: Bill Baine, City Manager; Lee Woodward, City Secretary, Leonard Schneider, City Attorney WORKSHOP SESSION" [5:30pm] 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Turner called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. stating that a quorum was present 2. MAYOR/CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER REPORT Mayor Turner welcomed the new City Secretary and stated that the meeting would cover issues such as workflow, interaction between City Secretary and City Council, expectations and the fad that Council members may have varying ways in which they would like to receive and exchange information and documents. Lee Woodward, City Secretary, thanked the Mayor and opened a discussion on the issue of agenda pickup and delivery. She said that some Council members were open to printing agenda packets from the web site, others would be able to come pick up packets at City Hall when they were notified, and some would still prefer to have them delivered. Secretary Woodward cited delivery concerns such as City coverage for auto accidents and cost in personnel time to have the City Secretary or Deputy City Secretary out on delivery. She mentioned that some cities have fire or police personnel deliver packets as they are moving about a city. She reiterated that the City Secretary's office was more than happy to print and bring the packets, but was open to other options that might be equally viable for the City. Mayor Turner then asked each Council member to respond as to their preferences. Councilmember Woodward reconfirmed that he would be willing to print or pick up his packet, and that he had previously discussed this with the City Secretary. Councilmember Barrett said it was helpful for him to have the packet delivered. Mayor Turner acknowledged that Council members are volunteers and busy businesspeople, and did not want them to feel that they were receiving less service, but also acknowledged that redundant service or timesaving options should be identified. Councilmember Barrett said that it was convenient for the packet to come to the house, but that his office would also be fine depending on day and schedule. He also expressed a concern about the size of the packet and felt that having the packet printed and delivered by the City gave him the ability to devote more time and attention to the material itself. Councilmember Zender agreed with Councilmember Barrett and added that she preferred hers be delivered to her office. Councilmember Forbus said he would be able to pick his up once notified, and Councilmember Zander said that is sometimes possible for her as well, with notification. The Mayor said he had discussed his preference with the City Secretary. Councilmember Wagamon said he could print his from the web site. Councilmember Mahaffey stated she preferred delivery to her house, mentioning that the side porch would be the appropriate location for the packet. Councilmember Cole said he would like delivery to his office. Mayor Turner then addressed the issue of number of packets printed, and City Manager Bill Baine stated that he needed a packet, and that the directors get theirs from the web site. Councilmember Ray joined the meeting at this point and said that he would like the packet delivered to his office. Secretary Woodward then raised the issue of having emails sent to addresses other than each Councilmember's City email address. She said she had spoken with the IT department and that a concern was an appearance of being less than open. She said that responses to emails from accounts not on the City server, to other non -City accounts would not be retrievable on the City systems, but would still be subject to Public Information Requests. City Attorney Leonard Schneider stated that personal emails are subject to the Open Records Act if they concern City business and that if a request came in, those emails could be asked for. ' Attorney Schneider suggested keeping a separate folder in personal email accounts, if used for City business emails, and putting any emails in it which may be subject to request. Mayor Turner asked if it was correct to say that it would be sufficient action to use only the City email address as the email account on which he discussed City business, and to not have City business emails on his personal account. Attorney Schneider said that it was. 272 CITY COUNCIL MEETING of September 15, 2009 BOOK "U" was true, with some limitations. Mayor Turner said he considered it good management of his email account to routi ly delete old emails. Attorney Schneider what is correct is that the Mayor use his City email to retain all email that mi ht have substantive content. Councilmember Ray wanted to know what the effect would be if he simply cc -ed his City email account on ny responses he made from his personal email account, such as to a citizen. Secretary Woodward said it was er understanding from the IT department that that would enable them to have a searchable record of that corresponden e. Councilmember Ray stated that he would do that in future. Secretary Woodward said that it was then possible for ie hypothetical citizen to make a response only to Councilmember Ray's personal email address, and there would not b a record of that. Councilmember Wagamon wanted to know if he was required to use a City email, as he preferred to respond by ph o e. Councilmember Cole stated that he did not use email either. Secretary Woodward said it was her understanding the IT could close down the email account. Attorney Schneider asked them what contact information they would want on e City website, to which the response for Council members Wagamon and Cole was telephone numbers. - The Mayor asked the City Attorney if document retention covered items generated by Council members as well as material sent to Council. Attorney Schneider said that anything that comes to the City is considered a documf nt, requested or not, and a part of public record. City Manager Baine asked the City Attorney about personal email being subject to subpoena. The City Alton ey confirmed that it was, and recommended using Councilmember's Ray proposal of cc-ing their City email account. Councilmember Barrett said that he preferred to have his personal email address added to the send list. rather tl an replacing his City email, so that it was easier for him to check it during the day, but he could respond through the y email. He said this enabled him to get the information more quickly. The Mayor then brought up the issue of preference of contact. He suggested that each Councilmember discuss t it preference with the City Secretary, especially were an emergency to arise. The City Secretary stated that she had e cell phone for each Councilmember who carried one. The City Secretary moved on to the issue of expense for the notebooks, dividers and personnel time to prepare he monthly Finance report, saying that it cost roughly $100 per month for the materials, not including the staffs time. fe said this was also something that could be conveyed to the Council members by making it available on the web site or on disc, and also asked that if they had any notebooks or dividers at home, that they be returned for reu e. Councilmember Forbus said he would be willing to receive the monthly report via email, and then asked fora disc format. The Mayor asked what the electronic format would be. Winston Duke, Director of Finance, said that he had talked ab ut this issue with the Secretary, stating that currently the report was composed of many files at this time, but that e Secretary had offered to scan the items into one .pdf file. The Mayor asked if this could then be used to create n archive of monthly reports. Director Duke confirmed that it could. Councilmember Ray asked if the report could simply be put on the City webs site. Director Duke said that it would e possible in the single file format. Councilmember Zender said that would be fine with her. Councilmember Ray said e would not need a book if it were on the website. Secretary Woodward asked if anyone other than Dr. Cole would nee a book if the file were on the web site. Council members Wagamon & Mahaffey and City Manager Baine confirmed tI y would still like to receive the book format. The City Secretary then said the final issue of the meeting would be an attempt to get a clearer understanding of the r le of the Deputy City Secretary and the Public Information Officer (PIO). She said that she had been able to fully flesh t is out, as many of the tasks fell under her job description and areas of responsibility. Councilmember Forbus said that le had understood that Kristin Edwards would be the PIC. City Secretary Woodward said she had understood that I s. Edwards had been hired as a PIC, then as the Deputy City Secretary, but that although the City Secretary b description included the press requirements, the Deputy City Secretary answers to the City Manager, and wan d clarification. The Mayor mentioned that he felt this came down to a policy issue, and that he would like to appoint Council memb rs , Zander and Forbus to pursue an answer and come back with a recommendation, and the City Attorney felt this would e fine. The Mayor tasked them to find where the PIO fit into the overall organization. City Manager Baine said the RO was a position had been added by Council as a part-time position due to prior issues in the City Secretary office, as ie understood it. He stated that Ms. Edwards had done a good job as PIO and that the question was whether t at 273 CITY COUNCIL MEETING of September 15, 2009 BOOK "U" additional position was still needed. Councilmember Zander said that she and Councilmember Forbus would meet with The Mayor thanked everyone for attending. Councilmember Forbus asked the City Secretary how she was affected by the workflow from Council members. She responded that every day was better than the previous day, that she and the Deputy City Secretary were getting to know where things were and what was in their records, and developing a rhythm. Councilmember Forbus asked that she let the Council know if there was any way in which their interactions could be improved, once she had settled into a routine. Secretary Woodward said that everyone in the City, in addition to the Council, had been very supportive and that she was very grateful. The Mayor thanked everyone again. 3. ADJOURNMENT [5:52 p.m.] The meeting was adjourned at 5:52 p.m. LL n L e oodward, City Secre ary 274