Please continue to work with members of the public to ensure that effective communication is a top priority for all public meetings of Boston City Council, greater civic engagement for folks sidelined, inclusion for hard of hearing folks

Tinnitus, ringing in ears, deaf, ESL English Second Language folks

Concussion recovery, stroke recovery folks, folks with mild traumatic brain injuries

Folks with cognitive difficulty

Dyslexic, attention deficit, aging folks, elderly, folks in City neighborhoods far afield of City Hall, Hyde Park folks, Mattapan folks, Orient Heights folks, folks with difficulty to tolerate public seats of the Council Chamber.


At
http://data.boston.gov

City of Boston Department of Innovation and Technology and
Chief Information Officer David Elges
https://www.boston.gov/departments/innovation-and-technology#meet-the-chief

can put online the Stenographic Record of Boston City Council
by partnering with Staff of the City Council President.

Please advocate more up to date software at Boston City Council.




Not equally effective communication, the flawed video captions aren't as accurate as the Stenographic Record of Boston City Council. Electronic computer files on the Stenographic Machine are easily copied.

City Contract for Stenographic Services require the electronic computer files be City Property. Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Records Management Guidelines provide the electronic computer files recorded remain at City Hall. Copies used for editing Minutes
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcrmu/rmuidx.htm

The City can take custody of City Property as indicated in the City Contract. The electronic computer files not removed from City Hall. Copies used for editing Minutes not as complete as the Stenographic Record Document. Don't remove Electronic Computer Files from City Hall leaving the City with no Record.

Notable improvement of the Council Chamber haven't improved access afterward. Not all folks can get to the Wednesday Public Meeting of Boston City Council at that time. It's 2019 ! More up to date software is available that makes available a public funded Stenographic Record.




Flawed Captions Video Transcripts aren't posted online.

City Archives Staff haven't distinguished between the Stenographic Record and the Video Captions Transcript of Public Meetings of Boston City Council.



Electronic Computer Stenography Dictionary File or Electronic Computer Stenography Additional File are City Property according to the City Contract Article 2.3 
https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/embed/c/cm10-and-cm11-standard-contract-doc-terms.pdf

ARTICLE 2 -- PERFORMANCE:
2.3 City is entitled to ownership and possession of all deliverables purchased or developed with Contract funds. 

All work
papers, reports, questionnaires and other written materials prepared or collected by the Contractor in the course of
completing the work to be performed under this Contract shall at all times be the exclusive property of the City. 

The
Contractor shall not use such materials for any purposes other than the purpose of this Contract without the prior written
consent of the Official. 

All Contractor proprietary rights shall be detailed in the Contract Documents.


Copying an electronic computer file is an easy feature of computer machines. At City Hall the obstacle are Staff unfamiliar with software.





Historic Preservation During Busing, the Stenographic Record of Public Meetings of Boston City Council during Busing are part of Historic Preservation of Documents at Boston Public Library Special Collections. City Archives can include the more accurate Stenographic Record of Public Meetings of City Council as City Archives include flawed Video Captions for historic preservation.




The City Contractor and family contribute to Reelection Campaigns of City Councilors.



Don't sidestep. Directly address the points raised please.

Boston City Council Roll Call Votes
http://www.cityofboston.gov/cityclerk/rollcall/

Roll Call Votes of the most recent Public Meeting of Cambridge City Council...

Cambridge City Clerks Office
http://www.cambridgema.gov/cityclerk
City Clerk Donna P Lopez
Deputy City Clerk Paula M Crane
Operations Manager/City Clerk Mary E Cosgrove
Business Production Analyst/Project Manager Paul A Creedon
Vital Records Supervisor Brunilda Guzman
Principal Clerk Bernadette Valentin
Principal Clerk Sandra L Christie
Principal Clerk Jennifer M Macomber
Principal Clerk Bernice Taylor
Principal Clerk Stewart M Won

City Council
Executive Assistant to City Council Alessandra Albano
Administrative Project Assistant Mary A Horgan
Council Aide Anne W Nagle
Council Aide David E Mattei
Council Aide Daniel B Schwartz
Council Aide Nora G Bent
Council Aide Jason Alves
Council Aide Christian C Schlachte
Council Aide Wilford O Durbin
City Councillor Timothy J Toomey Jr
City Councillor Janis A Devereux
City Councillor Craig A Kelley
City Councillor David Maher
City Councillor Nadeem A Mazen
City Councillor Marc C McGovern
City Councillor Leland Benjamin Cheung
City Councillor Dennis J Carlone

Mayor and Chair of Public Meetings of Cambridge City Council Councillor E Denise Simmons
Chief of Staff Neal Alpert
Director of Constituent Services Muna Vukoh Kangsen
Aide to Mayor
Education Liaison
Executive Assistant to the Mayor
Housing Advisor
Assistant to Mayor

FY17 Adopted Budget
[page] V-2
http://www.cambridgema.gov/~/media/Files/budgetdepartment/FinancePDFs/FY17%20Adopted%20Budget.pdf

CITY CLERK
DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

The City Clerk is the official record keeper for the City of Cambridge.

Records kept by the Clerk’s Office include
vital statistics (including births,
marriages,
domestic partnerships, and
deaths) as well as
business and professional certificates.

The City Clerk is responsible for City Council documents,
appeals relating to Board of Zoning Appeal and Planning Board cases,
state and child support tax liens, and
all notifications of meetings of municipal bodies.

The City Clerk is also the official keeper of the City Seal.

All documents and notifications are available to the public, with some exceptions pertaining to vital records.



In addition to vital records, the City Clerk’s Office has records of
Cemetery Deeds for the Cambridge Cemetery and
municipal and zoning ordinances of the City.

The Clerk’s Office maintains a list of rules and regulations for various departments, boards, and commissions in Cambridge.



In July 2015, the Clerk's Office moved toward increased automation and improved customer service through access to online payments for certified copies of vital records.

In addition, a cashiering system was installed in the City Clerk's Office for the payment of services by credit cards.



In January 2016, as part of an E-Gov project, the City Clerk's Office implemented an Open Meeting Portal, which is the repository of City Council agendas, minutes, and videos.

In FY17, the Portal will be expanded to include records from various boards and commissions.



CITY CLERK - ADMINISTRATION
 [page] V-3
http://www.cambridgema.gov/~/media/Files/budgetdepartment/FinancePDFs/FY17%20Adopted%20Budget.pdf

MISSION & SERVICES

The City Clerk’s Office responds to a wide variety of public inquiries and provides assistance with birth certificates and other vital records in English, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and Spanish.

The Clerk's Office strives to preserve original records from Cambridge's municipal beginnings in 1630 while simultaneously using modern technology to make information more accessible to members of the community.


FY17 OBJECTIVES & PERFORMANCE MEASURES

1. Accurately establish,
maintain,
correct,
index, and
certify all vital records,
business records,
and other important City records in a timely manner and provide access to the public.

2. Produce City Council agenda for distribution;
record all actions taken at meetings;
distribute timely notification of Council actions;
index all items acted upon; and produce and
maintain permanent, bound records of City Council proceedings.

3. Improve dissemination of public information and customer service.

4. Continue preservation of vital and historical records.

                 
Objectives : : Performance Measures : : FY15 Actual : : FY16 Projected : : FY17 Target

Objective 1  Attested copies of completed and recorded marriage certificates filed with the Registry of Vital Statistics within 2 months : : 100% : : 100% : : 100%

Objective 2  Permanent bound record ready for publication within 18 months after completion of the legislative year : : 100% : : 100% : : 100%

Objective 2  Agenda ready for distribution 72 hours prior to regular City Council meetings
: : 100% : : 100% : : 100%

Objective 2  Notification of Council actions completed 36 hours after meeting
: : 100% : : 100% : : 100%

Objective 2  Number of updates to the Municipal Code distributed to subscribers : : 1 : : 1 : : 2

Objective 3  City Council agenda published accurately on the City's website 72 hours prior to meeting : : 100% : : 100% : : 100%