Editor’s note: Following this column, OCTA officials delayed action on changing the auditing requirements on the voter-approved road tax, Measure M2
The Orange County Transportation Authority – overseeing nearly $2 billion each year in road and freeway spending across the region for roughly 3.2 million residents – doesn’t video their regular public meetings.
It’s the largest public agency I can think of that doesn’t let the public watch their meetings online.
To me, that means OCTA doesn’t want people watching what they do.
And there’s lots to watch.
This very morning at 9 a..m, OCTA board members are being asked to change key auditing provisions on a 2006 voter-approved ballot initiative – a half-cent sales tax OC residents imposed on themselves to fund better freeways and roads.
[Read: Santana: OC Transit Officials Want to Gut Oversight on Local Road Taxes]
Regardless of your views on the proposed changes, they have major implications.
Transportation spending in Southern California has to be one of the most pressing, impactful public policy decisions that impacts our daily lives.
Yet the 18-member OCTA board – mostly made up of local elected officials – takes up this complex challenge largely in the dark – producing only an audio stream of their meetings.
Watching the faces of board members is key for recognizing voices during debate and seeing how they react, as well as understanding who’s really interacting at the meeting.
Voice of OC has been working with Chapman University journalism students in recent years to monitor video of public meetings, most recently examining local school districts, which have increasingly provided the public that kind of access.
[Read: How Easy is it to Tune Into Your School Board Meeting?]
Ever try to follow a public meeting Marconi style, as if it was a 1920s-era radio program?
Good luck.
It’s laughable that county transportation officials – along with the local toll road agencies – don’t offer the public a video stream of their meetings given that the county government, nearly every city and school district stream their meetings online.
Following public meetings is tough enough to watch in person or on video – especially on complex topics like transportation spending.
We’ve all watched the rapid transformation of road uses.
Especially since the pandemic, which saw the proliferation of electric bikes, skateboards, along with all kinds of scooters, bicycles and even roller skates.
With climate change forcing hard conversations in areas like transit, you’d think these elected leaders would want people really joining in – without having to drive to downtown Santa Ana while most residents are working.
People should be able to watch their elected and appointed leaders deliberate public policy – especially when they may have to look at multiple meetings to understand an issue – at their convenience.
With Orange County’s 3.2 million residents spread out across 34 cities, there’s huge transportation challenges along with big questions on regional public transit – like cuts to bus service, the controversial street car project in Santa Ana or a host of freeway traffic projects.
[Read: Downtown Santa Ana Small Business Owners Block OC Streetcar Construction Over Lost Profits]
Streaming video of these public policy meetings plugs people in much more effectively than an audio feed.
OCTA officials told me they started to livestream audio of their meetings in 2008 and they haven’t really seen a demand for video.
Now, despite saying that transparency is top of mind for them, the agency outlined what I think is an antiquated approach to public engagement.
According to OCTA spokesman Joel Zlotnik, “There are multiple ways the public can participate in our board meetings including listening from anywhere to the live audio stream, attending in person, speaking on an item in person, and/or submitting written or emailed comments.”
Zlotnik added that archived recordings of all of the board meetings, dating back to 2008, are easily accessible for people to listen to at any time following the meeting.
Click here to see the archive.
For meetings before 2008, the transportation maintains audio records on tape.
“Public participation is vital to the success of our programs, services and projects and we always welcome that engagement, whether at a formal meeting or by connecting in other ways,” Zlotnik said.
“Including through our bus customer service website at www.octa.net/comment, calling (714) 560-6282 and/or signing up to receive topical information about our various programs at www.octa.net/getconnected or through our social media that your readers can find on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X.”
Yet it seems to me the best way to let people connect – and raise concerns – is to let them watch their public officials discuss and debate transportation issues in real time.
It works for nearly every other public agency in Orange County.
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