Information Services Advisory Board
MINUTES
March 1, 2007, 6:00 p.m.
Town Hall Campus
Council Large Conference Room #10035
316 N. Academy Street, Cary, North Carolina
www.townofcary.org
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 6:01 p.m.
Present
Lee Douglas, Mark Evangelista, John Fitzpatrick, Tangie Hofer, Helen Hutchings, Nazi Kite (6:27 p.m.), Todd McGee (6:06 p.m.), John Nolander, Vijay Raghavendran, and Staff Liaisons Susan Moran and Teri Peralta
Absent
Terra Brown-Shelton and Council Liaison Julie Robison
Approval of Minutes
Mr. Douglas moved that the minutes from the February 21, 2007 meeting be approved. Mr. Fitzpatrick provided the second and the motion carried unanimously.
Old/New Business
Welcome New Members
Members introduced themselves one at a time. Ms. Moran stated that because Ms. Robison may be a candidate in this forum she felt the board could discuss the topic openly and feel free to make recommendations if she was not present.
Old/New Business
Cary Community Candidate Forum
Ms. Moran opened the discussion by first noting that the concerns about the forum format were multiple. She explained that some candidates felt that the manager wasn’t organized and that communication was inconsistent, and that staff had similar concerns about the execution of the forum by the forum manager, which was the League of Women Voters (League).
Ms. Moran remarked that candidates continue to express concerns about the format. She explained that many of them would like to have more time to speak about what was important to them, and they feel that some questions sent in by citizens are not relevant and so do not want to respond to them, while others feel the questions should come in advance in order to be prepared to give a better answer.
Mr. McGee arrived at 6:06 p.m.
Ms. Moran continued, stating that some candidates also don’t tend to like the schedule we have in place, which is to do all of the forum segments tapings within one business day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. She noted the reasons for this schedule are: 1) to prevent staff overtime, and, 2) to prevent the possibility of creating an unfair advantage. She explained that because many of the questions asked are the same for each segment holding forums over several days some would give some candidates more time to prepare for the questions, leaving others at a disadvantage.
Ms. Moran also expressed difficulty in finding any common denominators other than the fact that there was a great deal of dissatisfaction with the forum in the past. She indicated that none of the issues have been resolved and that staff hopes to bring a resolution to council for the 2007 elections forum.
Ms. Moran briefly described how the 2005 forum was run, explaining that questions were received from citizens via e-mail, phone calls and letters directed to the League of Women Voters. Sessions were taped in segments and these questions were read to the candidates for each seat on the day of the forum, allowing for a response by each candidate.
Mr. Evangelista asked what process was used to choose a forum manager and Ms. Moran replied that staff contacted a number of agencies that they felt would meet council’s requirements such as experience with a forum that is nonpartisan. She explained that the League had been used previously with good results and positive feedback and that their rate was much lower than other agencies, so it made sense to council to work with them again.
Ms. Kite arrived at 6:27 p.m.
Ms. Moran asked the board to think about what they would like to see as far as the overall structure of a forum and what they feel it should accomplish, and to consider factors such as whether it should be a place for candidates to offer their views or should citizen questions be solicited.
Mr. Nolander observed that people vary in their communication styles; some are good at answering questions and others are better in a monologue setting. He suggested it would be good to find a venue that would allow the candidates to play to their strengths. Ms. Moran asked for opinions about having a debate as a component of the forum. Some expressed concerned that a debate might generate negative dialogue, but others felt that with the proper rules and a good moderator it could add significantly to the success of the forum.
Mr. Evangelista asked if the board as a whole would like to see the forum continue and all were in agreement. The members continued the discussion of whether or not the forum should include a debate. Ms. Moran reminded the board that this is a decision that has to be made before it is known how many candidates will be running for the various seats.
It was then suggested that the forum continue in its current structure whereby candidates are each given a certain amount of time to speak on the topic of their choice and then answer questions sent in by citizens. The board members agreed they would like to see a debate if possible. If there are too many candidates to make a debate feasible, then if there should be a runoff those candidates could participate in a debate conducted by a nonpartisan moderator.
Ms. Moran summarized by stating that the Information Services Advisory Board feels the Town should continue to cablecast a community forum, the structure of which should include opening remarks, a question-and-answer session using questions from citizens, a debate where logistically possible, and closing remarks. In addition, the board also agrees the Town should continue to hire an independent third party manager to manage this forum and that the manager should be encouraged to get ample questions from a variety of sources in addition to the usual solicitation from Cary citizens to help ensure a robust and valuable forum. The board also agreed that if logistics prohibited a debate, a debate should be included in the event of a runoff.
Ms. Moran went on to explain that the recommendation to council would come from Town staff. She added that staff may reflect on what the board discussed and not recommend a debate, but that council would still be made aware of the board recommendation.
Mr. Evangelista indicated that a review of the Annual Communications Plan would be the topic for the next meeting. Ms. Moran explained that she would be away so that would have to sit and suggested that Push Technology/RSS be elevated to the next item of new business. The board agreed.
Mr. Fitzpatrick reminded the members that some time would need to be devoted to the watch list at each meeting so these items are not neglected, adding that he has been in communication with Mr. Stice and Ms. Boone regarding the Web site overhaul. Mr. Evangelista addressed the other items, indicating that there was no new information to present concerning traffic management updates or dynamic message signs and that the 2007 Annual Report would continue to be worked on throughout the year.
Statement of Findings
The board found that the candidate forum is a worthy endeavor and feels it is important for the Town to continue to cablecast a community forum that includes opening remarks, a question-and-answer session using citizens’ questions, a debate where possible, and closing remarks. In addition, the board found it appropriate for the Town to continue to hire an independent third party manager to manage this forum and that the manager should be encouraged to get ample questions from a variety of sources to help ensure an enthusiastic and meaningful forum. The board also agreed that if the number of candidates prohibited a debate in the general election forum, a debate should be considered in the event of a runoff.
Mr. Evangelista welcomed Mr. McGee as a member and thanked him for volunteering his time to serve on the board.
Citizen comments
Mr. Fitzpatrick stated that he has been asked by two different citizens why they haven’t seen the new solid waste trucks in their neighborhoods. Ms. Moran replied that a number of the older trucks have been kept in service in order to continue a high level of service in areas where the solid waste containers cannot be brought to the curb and in neighborhoods where the new trucks are too large to maneuver properly.
Member comments
Mr. Evangelista thanked staff for working quickly to make the minutes from the February meeting available in a timely manner. He noted that the next meeting will be held on April 5, 2007 at 6 p.m. in the Council Large Conference Room, 316 N. Academy Street, Cary, NC.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 7:33 p.m.