Portola Valley will test cable television for town meetings

By MARION SOFTKY

Do people in Portola Valley care? Would they like to be able to switch on Cable Channel 41 and see their Town Council in action? Would they be more likely to tune in to discussions of youth, or trails, or development, or landslide repair, or budgets, if they didn't have to get in the car and drive to Town Hall for the meeting?

Portola Valley's Town Council and Cable Committee want answers to these questions before they invest in wiring the Historic Schoolhouse so that council, Planning Commission and other town meetings can be televised to residents.

The council April 14 asked Chris Buja of the Cable Committee to arrange some tests of cable casting town meetings so it can evaluate community response. "We'll do a trial," Mr. Buja said. "We'll look for a date when some real issues are to be decided."

To wire the schoolhouse with low-profile mikes and cameras would cost between $30,000 to $50,000, Mr. Buja said in a presentation by the Cable Committee. The modest system would be automatic and would allow for live broadcast or recording to rebroadcast later. "The more you want, the more it will cost," he said. "You could spend up to $250,000."

Council members weren't sure whether televising meetings would improve or discourage community participation. "It could make our job a little more difficult," said Councilwoman Nancy Vian. "I get a lot of information from seeing people. If everyone's home, I lose that."

Mayor Craig Brown said that broadcasts might make the process more open and available to the community. Looking at the empty room -- two members of the Cable TV Committee and a reporter -- he said, "There are a lot of people who aren't here because they are busy or have kids; maybe they're interested in one issue. People who want to speak will come anyway."

Mr. Buja reported that last summer's cable survey revealed that 20 percent of respondents were "very interested" in broadcasts of town meetings, and 25 percent were "not interested." Less than 50 percent were "somewhat interested," he said.

Councilman Kirke Comstock, a veteran of television when he served on the Palo Alto City Council, saw it as "an enhancement, not a detriment. I wouldn't worry about drawing people away," he said. "Start small and see what kind of feedback you get."

Those wishing to comment on the matter are invited to call Town Hall at 851-1700.



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