TOWN HALL ON THE NET? SANTA CLARITA PLAN CALLS FOR ELECTRONIC MEETINGS.

Byline: Angela M. Lemire Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - To have a voice in community planning, city residents might not have to jump into their cars anymore but rather ride the information superhighway right into City Hall.

City Manager George Caravalho has proposed an Electronic Town Hall Meeting to enhance ongoing Share the Vision community planning sessions. Increased public input thus would help city officials set effective priorities and goals.

By using advanced media in the form of electronic participation in town-hall meetings, citizen involvement in strategic city planning is encouraged, according to a report Caravalho prepared for the City Council.

The council will review Caravalho's plan at a special study session scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd. Council members have alternatives to the $28,000 electronic project: continued traditional sessions before live audiences or the elimination of strategic planning sessions altogether.

Electronic meetings could be conducted before a live audience, but live television, the Internet, e-mail, phones and faxes allow community members the opportunity for public comments at the next Share the Vision meetings in April and May, Caravalho's report said.

He was unavailable for comment.

City officials and community leaders hope for a groundswell of public participation. They also envision that electronic meetings might draw comments from people who for various reasons ordinarily do not attend community meetings.

Some residents may have night jobs; others cannot leave small children at home alone or cannot afford to pay baby sitters. Some may have health conditions that make it difficult to leave their homes, officials said.

Canyon Country resident Berta Gonzalez-Harper has contributed her participation in city-sponsored groups during the last decade, including working on a subcommittee on code enforcement, the Canyon Country Better Than Ever Committee and, most recently, a task force to study a possible parking ordinance for recreational vehicles.

Bringing city government to people's homes appeals to her, she said, because conflicting meeting schedules have prevented her from attending important public meetings in the past.

``I would love to have a way to give my input if I can't be there,'' Harper said. ``I could tape a meeting on TV and submit my comments later . . . I would imagine a lot of people would use their e-mail or faxes because they just don't like going to meetings. When you're at home you're more comfortable.''

City Management Analyst Frank Oviedo's job includes the gathering and studying of public input, including an ongoing Saugus project in which residents set neighborhood priorities such as beautification.

Surveys have shown the public wants increased access to City Hall, he added.

``Today's busy society has less time for civic involvement. It's not too far from the concept of e-commerce. If you make it more convenient for people, they're more apt to participate,'' Oviedo said. ``Any new avenue in getting more public imput is positive.''

The concept of the Electronic Town Hall Meeting is not the first time the city has reached out to the public via the Internet. Two months ago, city officials began posting weekly survey questions on its Web page to get public input on important projects, and they have reported a strong response.

Share the Vision, which has set immediate and long-term goals every three years since the city's incorporation, typically drew 150 participants, Caravalho's report indicated. The intent is to increase that level, given the significant rise in the city's population in recent years and ongoing issues with far-reaching effects.

Community response to past strategic planning sessions were valuable and helped the city prioritize issues, Caravalho said.

Although Canyon Country resident Harper commended the city's plan to get more public input, she said she hoped the information would be put to good use and the people's wishes followed. ``The city is good at listening and soliciting (but) I'd hate to see us courted for lip service,'' she said.

The Electronic Town Hall is expected to cost $28,000 for advertising, equipment and follow-up materials.

According to Caravalho, city staff will need at least three months to prepare the next Share the Vision program and electronic media systems, and to have the community participation sessions up and running in April and May. Staff would compile and study the public's input over the summer and present a strategic plan to the City Council for city priorities to be adopted around October.