220106 Re_ Community Forum Informational Presentation UpdateFrom:Peter Grant
To:Frances Marquez
Subject:Re: Community Forum Informational Presentation Update
Date:Thursday, January 6, 2022 8:38:24 PM
Council Member Marquez,
Communications LAB has been impacted by the pandemic and we are still waiting for an
updated presentation draft. It appears unlikely the draft will be available before the agenda
Is released.
Peter Grant
City Manager
City of Cypress
Office 714-229-6680
Cellular 714-335-1685
pgrant@cypressca.org
On Jan 4, 2022, at 19:19, Peter Grant <pgrant@cypressca.org> wrote:
Council Member Marquez,
The requests/concerns from your email are addressed individually below. As always, I
am available to discuss your evident frustration with the City Council’s CVRA challenge
process and while there may not be a resolution, I am a good listener.
I would appreciate seeing a copy of her final draft today or tomorrow.
We are happy to provide the City Council latest narrative presentation draft when it is
complete. We are a meeting with Communications LAB Wednesday afternoon and
expect the next draft will be available sometime after that. Exactly when the draft will
be ready is not yet know. We need to review changes from the 12/27 meeting,
incorporate city attorney input, and debrief the call you made to Ms. Barrios today.
Regarding that call, the City Council was clear that proposed changes to the narrative
presentation were due to the City Manager by January 3 at 5pm. It is important the
city’s professional staff participate in interactions with contractors to help facilitate
Council Member’s objectives, keep everyone informed and prepared, and provide
opportunities for engagement and learning. Unless authorized by the City Council or
City Manager, Council Members should not independently engage with city
contractors.
I do not think it is fair to have to make final changes with a motion, second and
approval by a majority of the city council. This does not make it a democratic and
deliberative process for the member in the minority.
As you are aware, the City Council determined it would review and approve the
community forum narrative presentation. The City Council approves business items
through a motion, second, and majority vote. This process is established by state law
and the city charter and is not something city management determines or can change.
As a former research associate I know there is always time to refine a presentation.
As the City Council discussed with Communications LAB, after the January 10 City
Council meeting Communications LAB has to turn the narrative presentation into the
explainer video that will be shown at the community forums. This involves scripting the
video, recording the video, and editing the video before first community forum on
January 19. There are only five business days between the City Council meeting and the
first community forum in which to accomplish these tasks. A City Council decision to
extend the deadline for input would require a special City Council meeting and raise
concerns that the city is likely to incur additional costs and/or compromise the quality
of the community forum presentation.
Since the community did not see the presentation last week and the audio of the
meeting has not been made to the public I think Arianna should make the presentation.
If the City Council would prefer to have Communications LAB re-represent the draft
narrative presentation at the January 10 meeting, we are prepared to do that. The
webinar audio is on the website and the City Clerk’s office is uploading the
presentation. Public participation on the 12/27 webinar was similar to regularly
scheduled City Council meetings. Beyond your email, the city is unaware of concerns
about access to the special meeting the City Council called to help plan the community
forums.
Peter Grant
City Manager
City of Cypress
Office 714-229-6680
Cellular 714-335-1685
pgrant@cypressca.org
From: Frances Marquez <fmarquez@cypressca.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 4, 2022 10:34
To: Peter Grant <pgrant@cypressca.org>
Cc: Fred Galante <fgalante@awattorneys.com>
Subject: Re: Community Forum Informational Presentation Update
Peter,
Good morning! I would appreciate seeing a copy of her final draft today or
tomorrow. I do not think it is fair to have to make final changes with a motion,
second and approval by a majority of the city council. This does not make it a
democratic and deliberative process for the member in the minority. As a former
research associate I know there is always time to refine a presentation. Since the
community did not see the presentation last week and the audio of the meeting has
not been made to the public I think Arianna should make the presentation.
Sincerely,
Frances
On Jan 3, 2022, at 5:55 PM, Peter Grant <pgrant@cypressca.org>
wrote:
Mayor and Council (via bcc),
No input or comments to the Communications LAB presentation were
received by the City Council’s deadline of 5pm this afternoon.
Monday’s meeting will be the final opportunity to adjust the presentation
and any changes will need to be directed with a motion, second and
approval by a majority of the City Council. The production schedule does
not provide time for any research, refinement or special meetings past
Monday night.
Arianna will attend the meeting, but a re-presentation of the presentation
is not planned as the City Council heard and discussed it in detail on
December 27. A copy of the presentation will be included with the agenda
report.
Pete
Peter Grant
City Manager
City of Cypress
Office 714-229-6680
Cellular 714-335-1685
pgrant@cypressca.org
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