Gilbert City Council Meeting

July 1, 2002

Index of items discussed:   Kid's parade on July 14th   Model airplane flying on July 14th   Stop sign at Rothmoor and Jensen   Weaver property on Gretten   Bookmobile access to materials   Street lights for Village North addition   Renewal of tax abatement plan   End of year funds transfer   Clerk and mayor working relationship   Salary raises for employees   Vision 2000 - miscellaneous items   Reconsidering a city manager   Next meeting date   More about the stop sign issue

Basic stuff:

The meeting was called to order shortly at approximately 7:00 pm at the city hall. Mayor Bob Jaquis and council members Craig Allen, Chris Benda, Lynn Henn, Jon Popp, and Peg Uthe were present as was the city clerk, Dianna Schmidt. The consent calendar was approved.
  

Open forum — kid’s parade on July14th:

Chris Hadaway, owner of the Tropical Sno Cone Parlor, announced she is organizing a kid’s parade to be held at 2:30 pm on Sunday, July 14^th. Participants will meet at the Packer Auto Body parking lot at 2:15 with the parade proceeding one block south on Main Street, then a block west on first street, then north on Dana and back to the auto body place. She is holding the event to complement the open house that the fire department is holding the same afternoon. Some council members asked whether barricades would need to be put up to block off the street. Chris didn’t think they would be necessary.
  

Open forum — model airplane activity on July 14th:

Helen Gunderson, resident of Gilbert, announced that members of two Ames area model airplane clubs would be flying their planes on the afternoon of July 14^th in Gilbert — again as a complement to the fire department’s open house. The informal event will be at the Heart of Iowa Soccer Club fields, and a leader of the soccer club had given permission for use and the field and said she would convey the arrangement to other board members of the club. Helen also said that the town’s 125^th anniversary was coming up in 2004 and hoped that the community could build toward a major celebration for the occasion.
  

Open forum — stop sign at Rothmoor and Jensen:

A group of some 4-5 residents of Rothmoor Drive spoke with passion about their concern about speeding cars and ones that run the stop sign in their neighborhood. They also spoke about the ineffectiveness of the temporary stop sign that had been installed within the last year. One of the men had gone to homes in the area the previous night with a petition, visiting 39 persons and getting 39 signatures of people that share those concerns. He said he could have gotten more signatures if he had more time.

Some of the same Rothmoor residents had attended council meetings a year ago voicing similar concerns about speeding cars and the safety of their neighborhood. That’s when the sign was installed. The sign is one that can be either open or closed. Gary Steel (maintenance supervisor for the city) said the school had requested that style of stop sign and said it would provide volunteers to make sure it was opened and closed at the right times.

One of the big concerns of the residents is the confusion that exists for drivers when they don’t know if the sign will be open or closed. One resident, whose career is that of law enforcement, said that it is hard to get convictions of speeders or stop sign violators when the stop sign is a temporary one. He and other residents spoke about the importance of consistency and repetition — that if the stop sign is permanent and stays open all the time, people will begin to abide by it.

Council member, Peg Uthe, concurred that the inconsistency creates a problem.

The residents also felt that the increased presence of the sheriff’s department in Gilbert has not had an impact on the speeding and stop sign violations. There was a suggestion there be more statistics from the sheriff’s office to prove it’s effectiveness.

Mayor Bob Jaquis advised that the conversation was substantive enough that it would need to be put on a future agenda in order to have appropriate discussion by the council.

The residents also talked about the disappointment — that a year ago when they brought the matter to the council, the council put the burden of responsibility back on the citizens.

Laell Peterson, a resident of the west part of Gilbert, concurred with the group from Rothmoor added an impassioned concern about cars that "scream through town and the lack of effective enforcement.

One Rothmoor woman also requested that speed limit signs be posted along the road. She added that the situation was not a teenager problem — that she has seen adults speed and run the stop sign. She said she has done some observations and keep records to see if there was a pattern to the illegal activity, but she said she could see no pattern. She was also concerned about drag racing activity on Jensen.

The mayor again reminded the people that the matter would have to be put on an agenda.

The residents asked about when it would be on an agenda, saying that theirs was an urgent concern and that a month was too long to wait for a solution.

The mayor said the next meeting date had not been set.

Council member, Jon Popp, asked if the stop sign could be fixed so it would be permanently open. The mayor replied that the city code says the sign can be open only during school hours and that an ordinance would be needed to change the rule.

A Rothmoor resident said she has been aware of the problem for a year. She lives on a corner and has seen a little boy on a bicycle almost get hit by a car.

Another Rothmoor resident said that after he and neighbors voiced their concerns to the council a year ago, the ordinance was established to have the stop sign with it open during school hours. He said, however, that a temporary stop sign was not their goal when they started the discussions.

The mayor said the council would determine its next meeting date during its discussion at the end of the meeting.
   

The council talked about the Weaver property on Gretten that burned several months ago and questioned how long the owner will let it sit and not appropriately clear the area. The council also expressed concern about neighbors having to look at an orange snow fence cordoning off the area.

City clerk, Dianna Schmidt, noted that the owner had come to city hall and asked for the building code.

Council member, Jon Popp, mused about the owner’s insurance and whether it covered replacement.

Council member, Craig Allen, was concerned about a child getting past the fence and being hurt at the site.

Council member, Peg Uthe, wondered how many years the foundation would remain open.

The mayor asked if the options for the landowner were either 1.) To tear the building down and haul the materials away or 2.) To get a permit, have inspections, and enclose the floor immediately. He asked the attorney if it might be wise to send the owner a letter saying that if by the end of July, the owner had done nothing to appropriately deal with the site, the city would do something.

The attorney, Frank Feilmeyer, said he could draw up a resolution to deal with a "dangerous building" and direct that the basement be filled or capped.

Council member, Chris Benda, said he was concerned that if the basement was simply filled, a new buyer might not know there was buried concrete block and cement. He said the options should be either 1.) Dismantle and fill in the basement or 2.) To cap it.

The attorney said he would study the code and that perhaps he could write a letter to the owner saying, "This need doing. If not done by (a certain) date, we’ll do it and bill it back to you."
   

Discussion with Ames Public Library about R-rated videos on Bookmobile:

Three representatives of the Ames Public Library talked with the council about a concern that had surfaced at a previous council meeting about the availability of R-rated videos on the library’s bookmobile that serves Gilbert. The representatives included: Gina Millsap, library director; Lynne Carey, outreach coordinator; and K.C. Frescoln, president of the library’s board of trustees.

The conversation was long and often filled with tension.

Apparently, Carl Schloerke, principal of the Gilbert Elementary School, had become aware that a young person had checked out an R-rated video from the bookmobile. He then brought his concern to Doug Williams, the school superintendent, who (according to Mayor Jaquis) discussed the matter with some school groups (perhaps the school board, P.T.O, and another). The two school administrators then communicated their concerns to the Ames Public Library administration and the Gilbert council.

The essence of what the administrators conveyed was a request that R-rated videos not be available on the bookmobile during school hours and that if videos are made available, the school would not allow the bookmobile to be at the school site until after the school day was over. (The school site is the only current site for the bookmobile in Gilbert where it serves not only the school but the entire community.)

Gina Millsap presented the library’s position and began by saying, "We have a conflict between the mission of the school and the library." She explained that a school serves "in loco parentis" meaning that school is authorized to have parental authority over children while they are in school. In contrast, she said, the library’s mission is to provide access for people of all ages to a broad range of materials and that one of it’s key philosophies is to let "parents retain the right to parent." She also reminded the council that Gilbert’s contract with the Ames library for the bookmobile’s presence is with the city and not the school. (The school and city have an informal arrangement by which the school provides the site and hookups for the bookmobile).

Gina said the school had asked the library to cover up the R-rated videos on the bookmobile or at least to stop the children from checking them out. The library’s response was, "No," but it said it would be happy to have school staff come on the bookmobile to supervise the children and guide them in the selection of materials. (Apparently this is the type of arrangement the library has with St. Cecilia, Sawyer, and other schools in Ames that the bookmobile serves).

Gina also talked about how the library assistants for outreach (including the bookmobile) stock a wealth of information for youth.

Council member, Craig Allen, mused about the guidelines at theaters for children to attend movies and wondered if the library abided by those rules. Gina responded that those guidelines are ratings created by the Motion Picture Association and carry no force of law.

Gina reminded the council that the current concern was precipitated not by a parental request. She added that when/if a child checks out an R-rated movie and parents call to express concern, the library staff responds that they are being good parents by taking an interest in what their children are watching.

Gina went on to say that child-rearing varies enormously from family to family, and "We want to be respectful of that." We tell parents to use such an episode as an opportunity for education, for "talking with" their child.

Craig asked what prerogatives the Ames Public Library had in setting guidelines for what materials are available to youth.

K.C. Frescoln, president of the library trustees and a resident of the Gilbert school district, said that the bookmobile serves the entire Gilbert community. In his role with the board of trustees, he firmly holds to the policies not to restrict materials, and in his role as a parent, he talks with his children about what they can check out from the library. He doesn’t want to restrict other parents in their parenting. He also reminded the council that the complaint had come from the school principal and not a parent.

Council member, Peg Uthe, said the policy of the library, if it does not change and if the school therefore refuses to offer space for the bookmobile, does affect the city.

Council member, Craig Allen, asked about what will happen.

Gina reminded the council that the library and city of Gilbert have a contract. She said the library’s expectation was that "we could work this out" and that the library already knew it would have to relocate the site for the bookmobile on school property.

Craig said it sounded like a two-step process of 1.) Negotiating with the school to see if a satisfactory solution could be obtained and 2.) If not, to decide where to locate the bookmobile. Craig also asked if the city of Gilbert had any say in the matter.

Gina said that for background information on the issue, she had sent the mayor a copy of the library’s policies and a library bill of rights. She said she would leave copies with the council as well as policies on access to materials.

Council member, Jon Popp, noted that he is aware the bookmobile librarian takes no role in restricting access to students. He added that the school says it has no staff to go on the bus; therefore, the school wants the bookmobile off of school property during school hours. He concluded that the bookmobile isn’t doing any good for the students of Gilbert now.

Library outreach coordinator, Lynne Carey, said the school does send out an aid.

Council member, Lynn Henn, alluded to the tight economy.

Council member, Chris Benda, challenged the library, asking what it did to compromise.

Gina referred again to the differing missions of the school and library. She said the library has been operating in the current fashion for decades. This (meaning the access to materials) is fundamental to our beliefs. We do feel we are doing the right thing.

Council member, Peg Uthe, responded that it was only common sense that the librarian would say, "no, you can’t check this out." She added that children do not have the same rights as adults.

The tension in the room built.

K.C. Frescoln responded by saying that what the council members were suggesting basically came down to censorship and reiterated that, "as librarians, we stand for access."

Peg mused about there being no law that says the city has to provide library services.

Both Gina and Mayor Jaquis replied that there is a state law requiring towns to provide library services.

K.C. said he is concerned about "where to draw the line."

Gina said that Mr. Schloerke said in a conversation with her that he might have additional items he would like to restrict on the bookmobile and that his remarks set off alarms for her. She went on to say that the chances of a six-year-old checking out an R-rated movie is slim, but if a parent is concerned, "we work with them."

In looking for an analogy, Craig, mused about laws that control fire arms, drugs, and other toxic materials.

Gina said that a family’s right under the First Amendment is to make its own choices.

Craig said that children do not have the cognitive abilities nor wisdom to make an appropriate choice on such things as an R-rated movie.

Gina said that libraries can be perceived as subversive. There are many items in the Ames library that don’t meet her personal standards, but she believes "passionately in making various viewpoints available — it’s fundamental to democracy."

Council member, Jon Popp, asked how often the bookmobile was in Gilbert.

Lynne Carey said from 1-6 pm on one day a week.

Jon said the question is whether the city moves the bookmobile or discontinue it.

Council member, Lynn Henn, asked if the hours could be changed.

Lynne Carey said that would be an option.

Lynn Henn said there was a downside to changing the hours in that the kids who live outside of town would have more difficulty in visiting the bookmobile. He concluded that the "city is between a rock and a hard place — between the school and the library."

Craig asked if the library or council had a formal statement from the school about the matter.

Mayor Jaquis said that Doug Williams, the school superintendent, had said the bookmobile either had to be at another location (away from the school) or available only after 3:30 or 4:00 pm.

City attorney, Frank Feilmeyer, said that if the city decides not to have the bookmobile, it needs a new contract with the library.

Lael Peterson, a Gilbert resident, spoke of the need for the bookmobile for older people. And Mayor Jaquis said there are people who want the bookmobile to stay where it is.

Chris Benda asked whether children would be able to have access to R-rated videos if Gilbert had its own library. Mayor Jaquis said the clerk had called area libraries and discovered there were varying standards.

Gina said her concern is not just about video but also print materials. She said it would be very sad if the situation of one young person checking out one R-rated movie would change the library’s service to the whole community of Gilbert.

Gina also mentioned that Mr. Schloerke had said that the school library is limited in what it can offer youth.

Peg Uthe said that the council appreciates the bookmobile, but that there is one problem.

Craig Allen mused about a recent Supreme Court ruling that upheld the rights of producers of virtual child pornography.

Lynne Carey commented then Craig responded then Gina said that the library does provide guidance in the form of the staff asking constituents, "how can we help you?"

Lynn Henn asked if the library had worked to inform students and the community of its policies.

Lynn Carey responded that the library sends a letter home with students explaining the policy along with a form for the parents to fill out.

Craig Allen, referring to the research the clerk had done that pointed to the variance in library policies around the area, recommended that the council opt for not having the bookmobile serve and have the city staff its own library.

Frank said the city could still contract for library services.

Gina noted the library would have to study the costs associated with Gilbert patrons using the Ames library. She requested the council to give the bookmobile another location and to "let us give it a shot."

Lynn Henn asked about the amount of patron traffic, other than school children, at the bookmobile from 1-3 pm.

Lynn Carey said the bookmobile was too packed during school hours, making it difficult for non-school patrons to attend during that time.

Chris Benda said he didn’t want to short change anyone and wanted the city to get all the hours it contracted for.

Then there was discussion clarifying the need to move the bookmobile and what specifications a new site would need (i.e. a level hard surface and utility hookups).

Jon Popp then asked if the library had exhausted its discussion with the school. Gina said, "No," that the discussion should be with the city.

Then there was some discussion about possible alternative hours the bookmobile could come outside of school hours. The bookmobile does have other commitments and a limit on its availability.

In working toward a conclusion of the discussion, Gina asked, "am what I am hearing is that we need to look at (having the bookmobile here) at hours after school is out?" Gina said one of the first things that needed confirming was whether the school is still willing to have the bookmobile but at later hours. She also said she would remain in e-mail communication with the mayor.

Jon Popp acknowledged that the bookmobile is a valuable resource to the school and said that’s why he had asked if the library had exhausted conversation with the school. He added that is was no problem to his family to change the hours since he lives in town but that it would be a problem to other families.

Gina reminded the council that allowing people of all ages access to a wide range of materials is a principle that is fundamental to her profession, the library, and the Ames community.

There was then some discussion clarifying the protocol for talking with the school.

Peg Uthe asked what the library’s response would be if the city of Gilbert established an ordinance restricting young peoples’ access to R-rated material.

K.C. said the library trustees would then decide not to serve Gilbert.

Lynne Carey said that the staff tries to select material for each bookmobile stop, taking into account the needs of youth and adult patrons of the community. She also says that if material doesn’t check out, it doesn’t stay on the shelves.

Frank said the city needs to talk with the school district and find out if the matter is definitely a problem and if the school is definitely going to restrict access to the bookmobile. He added that the decision for the council is where to put the bookmobile, but that the council is operating in an information vacuum. He said the city should initiate conversation with the school board and that anything the library staff can do to convey the importance of its position would be appreciated.

The mayor said he would ask Doug Williams, the school superintendent, to send a letter. Frank added that someone from the city needs to be on the next school board agenda.

Gina said that since the library contract is with the city, she would be more comfortable having someone from the council meet with the school board.

Frank said that the school district needs to know the city’s options and added that currently, the relationship between the school and Gilbert regarding the bookmobile is informal.

Gina said she would wait to hear from the mayor.

Lynn Henn requested the library check its schedule regarding available hours for the bookmobile, saying that information might persuade the school board.

Frank asked about how the bookmobile situation works when a teacher is on board to supervise. Lynne Carey said that some schools have rules regarding what children can check out. In some cases, the teacher as "in loco parentis" tells the youth they cannot check out an item.

Gina thanked the council for listening, then the library representatives left the meeting.
   

The council unanimously passed Resolution 397 to install street lights in the Village North Sixth Addition being developed in the south part of Gilbert by Rich Lepper and his construction company.
   

The council held its second public hearing regarding renewal the town’s urban revitalization tax exemption plan (i.e. a tax abatement program for new construction in Gilbert.) No one spoke during the hearing, and the council proceeded to unanimously approve the second reading of the ordinance.
   

There was to have been a discussion of a year end transfer of city funds; however, the mayor recommended waiting and dealing with the matter at the next meeting.
   

Council member, Craig Allen, began the discussion about the working relationship between the mayor and clerk, saying he wondered how things were going in follow-up to a January 5 meeting. (On January 5, the council held a special half-day meeting facilitated by Tim Shields of the Institute of Public Affairs to deal with long-term, unresolved conflict between the clerk and mayor.)

Craig said that at the January 5 meeting, there was a recommendation to have a follow-up discussion during the summer to assess how things were going. He added that if all was well, that would mark the end of the process. Craig wondered how the council might proceed with the discussion. He asked the mayor and clerk for their input.

(Note: Bob Jaquis is in his second, two-year term as mayor. He first took office in January of 2000. Dianna Schmidt's employment with Gilbert is her first as a city clerk. She became clerk in June of 2000 after Barb Bettis, who had been the city clerk for some 25 years, retired.)

Council member, Chris Benda, said that the problem had originally gotten out of hand (nearly two years ago) because there had been no communication. He added that if there was a problem, he hoped someone would bring it out so the council (and staff) would not be back where they were.

Craig said that the mayor and clerk were in the driver’s seat for the discussion.

Dianna Schmidt, the clerk, did say she had some concerns and that a delay in dealing with them would be problematic. She did review some of her progress since the January meeting, including a class that she had taken in accounting. She also spoke of differing perspectives between herself and the mayor regarding a history of discussions about sweep accounting.

Dianna then referred to the January meeting and said it was made clear then that if a problem arose for either her or the mayor, they needed to bring it up to the council for discussion. She added that their current working relationship is starting to be back the same as it was before (January 5).

There was then a complex conversation about the matter of sweep accounting.

Council member, Peg Uthe, said that all the responsibility for the issue should not be put on the clerk’s shoulders.

Craig said that "we are all rowing a boat together" and advised to take care not to go back to "stuff" that transpired before January 5. Craig then asked whether or not the current working relationship was satisfactory.

The clerk said that during the first four months after the January 5 meeting, the working relationship between her and the mayor was excellent and would rate an "A." Then it started slipping to a "B." But for the past three weeks, she would give the situation a failing mark She also mentioned that communication between her and the mayor was now essentially back to mere e-mail correspondence. She added that it was a mystery to her what happened three weeks ago to trigger the change in attitude.

The mayor was asked for his perspective, but he declined to speak about them at the meeting. Instead he asked the council to appoint two of its members to sit with him to go through some of his concerns and papers. His reasoning was that he feels he is sometimes misunderstood and that he wanted to discuss the matter in a less public meeting. 

The mayor did, however, take time to speak about his expectation that being elected mayor would engender him some respect, but that many people don’t appreciate his knowledge and experience. He claimed he has been hesitant to talk about himself and his background publicly but felt it was appropriate at this time to tell about having a B.S. Degree in business administration and experience as a supervisor and in accounting when he worked for Godfather's Pizza several years ago. (The mayor is currently employed at the National Soil Tilth Laboratory. It's director on the Internet lists him as a research technician. Presumably, he provides computer data support services to the agency).

The clerk said that no one was questioning the mayor’s intelligence. She added that she didn’t understand the need for him to take his conversation about the issue behind closed doors.

Council members, Jon Popp and Craig Allen, agreed to represent the council in sitting with the mayor and listening to his perspectives. However, Craig has commitments to be out of town several weeks this summer, and scheduling will be difficult. Jon said that they need to find time for the discussion, however, in order to make progress. There was no discussion of the timetable or process for sharing the mayor's concerns with the clerk or with the council as a whole nor any discussion of whether an outside facilitator such as Tim Shields would be invited to help the council resolve the situation..
   

The council discussed setting salary raises for the town’s employees. The mayor suggested that in the future, the raises be established when the budget is set in the winter. There was considerable quiet then finally a discussion regarding the poor economy of the state, including the fact that university employees are not getting raises. (Four of the council members work for the university).

Council member, Lynn Henn, finally said that considering what’s going on around the area, the council shouldn’t give the employees the same raise as last year. Gary Steele, the maintenance supervisor got 4.5 percent. Dianna Schmidt, the clerk, and Alan Hansen, the water superintendent, each got 3.5 percent.

Council member, Jon Popp, asked if raises could be established now but changed later in the year. The mayor thought they could, but only by resolution. Jon also asked if the city’s revenue was likely to increase 3-4 percent during the year. The mayor said some of the state and county monies might be down (i.e. the road use tax and the local option sales tax).

Some council members got out calculators with a figure of 2.25 percent in mind. Chris Benda penned in some figures on the chalk board. There was silence. Finally, Peg Uthe and Lynn Henn said they wished the council could give more but that it couldn’t in the hard economic times.

The consensus was that 2.25 be given which would mean a raise of $780 for Gary, $640 for Dianna, and $335 for Alan.
   

The mayor reported that Gary Hightshoe of Vision 2000 had given him a letter from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources requiring that a dam be moved in the Vision 2000 project. Apparently Vision 2000, when it received its REAP Grant from the state, thought there would be no problem with the dam. The mayor concluded the situation was probably one where a paper trail had not been completed and for the council not to read too much into it.

Council member, Chris Benda, reported on the recent Vision 2000 meeting and the organization’s desire to have Gary Steel use the city backhoe and work with Gary Hightshoe to level the animal mounds that the group had created. Apparently, the current shape of the earthen mounds is not conducive to good maintenance. The discussion led to some remarks about the Vision 2000 project being in a gray area between school and city jurisdiction — not a new issue, but one that has been discussed several times over the years.

Chris also asked about the status of development on the Rolph property. The mayor said he had nothing new to report.

Chris then mentioned the idea of making the pond in the Vision 2000 project bigger and stocking it with fish. People concurred that would be a fun idea but difficult to construct a large and deep enough pond for the fish.

Chris also talked about fund that the city has allocated for a city administrator. (In 1999, Gilbert hired its first city administrator but terminated his employment a few months later). Chris said, "We saw a need for one at the time" and just because we got the "wrong guy" doesn’t mean that the council shouldn’t reconsider having a manager.

The mayor said the only reason he has not been pushing for a city manager is the salary package of $50,000 - 60,000. Chris said, however, that if the city got a manager versed in applying for grants, it could help the city. He added that the city has not tapped into available grants. The mayor said that Gilbert does not qualify for some grants because of the town’s high per capita income. The mayor recommended scheduling a discussion about a city administrator for September or October. Chris thought hiring an administrator would make the lives of the mayor and council members — especially the mayor — a little easier.

Council member, Peg Uthe, asked about the little bumps in the Vision 2000 walking trail. Gary said they were caused by Willow roots.

Gary brought up the matter of specifications for sidewalk approaches and asked how the council was coming in making a decision about them. The mayor said not to worry and to allow the ones going in now.

Craig asked about the summer meeting schedule. The council decided to keep its regular meeting date of July 15^th and to include on the agenda the discussion of the stop sign at Rothmoor and Jensen.

The council then slipped into picking up on conversation from earlier in the evening about the stop sign. Although there was a desire of some council members to hurry the process along to respond to the concerns of the Rothmoor residents present earlier at the meeting, the mayor reminded the council of the complex process and that it could not skip steps in it.

Craig said that he would like a legal and proper solution in place before school started. Jon said he would like more surveillance. The mayor concurred and said the city had asked for more surveillance. Lynn said, that considering that stop signs are not a deterrent to people speeding in their cars, it would be good to have the sheriff present and part of the discussion about stop signs at the next meeting.

The mayor reigned in the conversation.

Meeting adjourns:

The meeting adjourned at 9:53 pm. (Seems like the longest meeting the council has had in a couple of years. Often the council meets only for a half hour or perhaps an hour.)
              

This unofficial summary provided by Gilbert Gazette editor, Helen D. Gunderson. When the minutes of a  meeting become available (after they are approved at the next council meeting), we will post them. You may also wish to look for the minutes in the fine print of the legal notices in the Ames Tribune about 14 days after a council meeting. 

If someone has an eye for proof-reading and finds typos, mis-spelling, grammar, or other errors, please let us know so we can make corrections. It's difficult and time-consuming to prepare the summary, and although it would be wise to find a copy editor before posting the summaries, we feel it is important to make the essence of the material available to the public as soon as possible.

Also, the city council tape records each meeting, and the clerk maintains the cassettes for use in writing the minutes and clarifying future questions about meetings. As far as we know, those tapes are part of the public record (unless the a city uses the tapes only for preparing minutes then destroys the tapes). And as far as we know, citizens and other persons may arrange with the clerk to listen to the tapes at city hall.