I always enjoyed preparing the agendas, especially before all the new technology, when you created the agenda, put the agenda packets together and delivered the packets to the city council. I remember feeling creative in formatting the agenda, and the pride, and relief, when the agenda was finally completed and posted for the public to view. Even though waiting for late reports and rushing to make sure the agenda was posted to meet the 72-hour posting requirement caused anxiety levels to rise, there was a sense of satisfaction after it was all done.
Then came Y2K, all the computers in the world did not crash, and technology became more commonplace. Programs were being developed to make government run more efficiently and offered promises of making your life easier, which it did. During the first decade, new agenda and minutes software programs were developed that promised to streamline the agenda process giving cities the opportunity to post their agendas and minutes on their websites. These new programs were so sophisticated, the city clerk could live stream audio/video feed through the city’s website so that members of the public, anywhere in the world, could not only access the agenda and minutes, but also watch city council meetings live from the comfort of their homes.
While this was wonderful news for city clerks, the new technology brought with it a whole new set of issues for city clerks to resolve. In my next discussions, we will begin addressing some of those issues and, from my experience, ways to solve them.