Westfield City Hall
WESTFIELD – During a Government Relations meeting prior to the City Council on Thursday, chair Andrew K. Surprise passed around a revised ordinance calling for sub-committee meetings to be videotaped by the city.
“There’s a big difference here,” said At-large Councilor Matthew Emmershy, who made the original motion his first month in office. “The spirit of this is to make the meetings available. There is no penalty or requirements,” he said. He said the arrangement would be to set up one or two cameras in different meeting rooms, and have committee members push the button for recording.
“Why do this if we can do the same thing now,” asked sub-committee member Councilor Cindy C. Harris. She said it seems as though the ordinance is about wiring the rooms, and she felt the action was premature.
“You’re assuming this means that there is equipment set up in the rooms,” said Ward 1 Councilor Mary Ann Babinski, who also serves on the sub-committee. “I’m in favor of this as long as it’s not required,” she added. Babinski suggested that the words “shall” in the revised ordinance be changed to “may,” to be clear on that point.
Also discussed was the city’s responsibility to store any recordings to make them available as public records. “As long as we have a physical copy of this, it is subject to Open Meeting Law,” Emmershy conceded.
A motion to refer the ordinance to the Council passed 2-0, with Harris having left for the Personnel Action Committee meeting indicating that she would vote against it.
At City Council, Harris first brought forward the reappointment of Peter Cowles as Media Specialist for a one-year term from the date of confirmation.
Harris said the Council voted unanimously to appoint Cowles in 2018, who at the time was a Communications Specialist with the Technology Center. She said since 2011, Cowles has done broadcasting with Westfield State University and Channel 15, often taping City Council and other meetings. Prior to that time, he served as a 911 dispatcher for the Westfield Police Department.
Cowles also did the broadcasting for the 2017 and 2019 Little League World Series in Westfield. Since becoming Media Specialist, he has expanded Channel 15, equipped the new community broadcasting studio at Westfield Technical Academy and worked on the curriculum for it, built a mobile production unit that broadcast the Westfield 350 parade and First Night, as well as did the live broadcasts of both high school graduations.
At-large Councilor Dave Flaherty made a motion to table the reappointment until the ordinance on videotaping committees had been discussed, which failed 8 to 5. Cowles was then reappointed on a vote of 12 to 1, with Emmershy voting no.
During the Council’s discussion on videotaping, Babinski said while nothing in the ordinance would make it mandatory, her concern was whether the Council needed to do it before the rooms are set up to broadcast.
Emmershy said what the ordinance comes down to is to take some action to put the cameras in the rooms. He said there are no requirements or penalties for not taping meetings.
Emmershy said he did not vote for Cowles’ reappointment, because he wanted to make the meetings available, and have Cowles transfer them to the city’s server and cable station. Surprise had given out a revised personal service agreement for Cowles at the Government Relations meeting, adding the transfer to his job requirements.
At-large Councilor Nicholas J. Morganelli, Jr. said he had the same take on the language “shall” versus “may” that Babinski had brought up. He said he thought the ordinance had a good chance of moving forward if those words were changed, leaving it to the discretion of the sub-committee chairs.
“I just think it’s a great idea,” Morganelli said, adding that some people have trouble getting to meetings, and want to know what’s going on.
Surprise made a motion to change the language. At-large Councilor John J. Beltrandi, III said he didn’t have a problem with recording meetings, but said, “If we do it, let’s require it.”
Flaherty called it a great benefit at low cost, and said he would support Surprise’s motion, but would look to broaden it at the first of the year to include cameras in every meeting room.
“I agree with Councilor Beltrandi, if you’re going to do it, do it,” said At-large Councilor Dan Allie.
“I’m for it, but I don’t think this is the best way to go,” said At-large Councilor Brent B. Bean, II. “With that said, this is a step in the right direction. I strongly recommend a vote for this to move it forward.”
Emmershy said the ordinance as revised only refers to Council sub-committee meetings.
Council President Ralph J. Figy said while he would like to see this happen, he also didn’t believe an ordinance was the way to go. “I don’t believe we have the right or authority to tell the Mayor how to spend the money,” Figy said.
Flaherty said the money is not in the ordinance, even though the figure of $9,800 had been raised as the cost to wire two rooms with broadcasting equipment.
Surprise said they can’t tell the Mayor to spend the money, but if he doesn’t appropriate it, they can ask at budget time. “First is to allow us to create an ordinance,” he said.
“I’m all for recording meetings, but I think it would be beneficial for us to work with the new Mayor. In two months we’ll have a new one. You talk about transparency; let’s post minutes first,” said Ward 6 Councilor William Onyski, adding that he didn’t think the Council could vote on a job description change for Cowles.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if we waited first to get equipment in place? Maybe we wouldn’t need this at all,” said Babinski.
Beltrandi then voted to table until the first meeting in January, which narrowly passed 7 to 6.
