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1982 03 04 Staff Report. CITY OF EL SEGUNDO INTER- DEPARTMENTAL CORRESPONDENCE Dot. March 4, 1982 To: Arthur E. Jones, City Manager From. Kevin B. Northcraft, Assistant to the City Manager Subject: Request for Council Action - Combined Video Studio for City and El Segundo Unified School District Background In May, 1979, the City began a community calendar of events on a new local government channel via the cable system. Technical assistance and equipment was supplied by Theta Cable. A procedural system was designed that called for the Chamber of Commerce to accept requests for message displays, and the City to approve the appropriateness and cause the message to be displayed. For the first year, only these rotating messages were displayed on the local government channel. In June, 1980, a meeting was held of representatives of the City Council and City staff, the Chamber of Commerce, the El Segundo Unified School District, and Theta Cable Company. At that meeting, it was the City's view that a combined City /School use of the local government channel and available video equipment would best serve the community. However, due to recent reductions in funding and work force, the School District was not in a position to consider such a joint venture. However, in the Fall of 1980, interest was developed by the School Board, and the High School Principal attempted to work out details of such a joint venture. Staff attended a School Board meeting to discuss possible areas of joint cooperation, and representatives of the City and the School District toured the facilities at Beverly Hills High School to ascertain what types of facilities and programming might be possible. Meetings have continued since that time and have resulted in recent actions. Recent Activities Through these meetings, a plan slowly developed for a studio to be constructed in a large room at the High School Media Center. The studio would include a taping room, a control and editing room, and a separate storage room for equipment. Hughes Aircraft donated the design work for the remodeling, and Theta Cable, Northrop, and a local media services technician donated technical assistance and advice in developing the plans. With these plans, the School District was able to locate $7,000 in capital funds to remodel the section of the Media Center and are in the process of completing that construction. The new studio will have external access for City use in the evenings, and can also be used during the day by school students and teachers. The only contribution made by the City to date for the studio has been the purchase of the sound deadening and backdrop drapes at a cost of just under $1,500. i Arthur E. Jones, City Manager March 4,1982 Page Two When completed, the video studio facility will be coordinated through Al Carson, the Auto Mechanic Teacher, who has been authorized to devote one -fifth of his time to videotaping. Mr. Carson is developing a reservation system for equipment so that both the School District and City will be able to utilize the studio and the equipment stored there. Proposed Plan Following the concept originally initiated in June of 1980, it is proposed that the City's video equipment be transferred to the school's new studio upon its completion. This will centralize the equipment of both jurisdictions in one area, where all equipment may be adequately stored. The equipment proposed to be transfered would be the City's two three - quarter inch video recorders, and the video camera. Also, the editing equipment being purchased would be housed in a permanent location in the new studio. With Council approval, this transfer would be accomplished this Spring and Sum mer. It is also proposed that, with Theta Cable's help a "head -in" or output to the cable system would be instal d at the schocil studio. This would allow display of messages during the school day by the School District over an educational channel. The future plans are to complete purchases necessary for studio productions in the upcoming fiscal year (82-83). In order for our knowledge to keep pace with the new equipment, in- service training of School and City personnel also is planned. The advantages of this continuing cooperative effort would include the following: 1) Education of our City's high school students in the operation of video equipment which surely will become increasingly common in our future, 2) the improved availability of an important hv3tructzonal aid to teach students, 3) the availability of a significant instructional aid to train teachers and City employees, 4) increased local government channel program ming as a result of a) better utilization by staff, b) greater number of trained employees, and c) better equipment and facilities, and 5) better information dissemination to the community of school programs and improved educational, informational, and entertainment program ming. In addition, it is possible that this cooperative arrange m ent will result so m eday in an opportunity for citizens to be trained in the use of video equipment. Further, it is anticipated that, as more local governments get involved in the use of video, the sharing of informational tapes will result The proposed studio will allow us to develop our own programs for exchange with other jurisdictions. It is even possible that should the jurisdictions desire, local public access to the cable syste in could be made avai able through the studio. • Arthur E. Jones, City Manager March 4, ]982 Page Three While it could be viewed that development of equipment and programming for the local government channel has been slaw, staff is convinced that such measured progress has been the optimal path to follow. For one, something in the neighborhood of 80 percent of local government programming nationally has been a failure and has been curtailed or eliminated after a big buildup. Also, slaw movement has ensured that wise purchases are made and allowed the development of our own knowledge on the uses of video to be consistent with the equipment and facilities availahls. Finally, we have been able better bo m onit,or audience reaction to our progra m m ing by m owing at a measured pace. If Council continues to concur with the concept of a joint local government facility and operation to be shared by the School District and City along the lines noted above, it is necessary that an appropriate agreement be consummated between the City and School District to clarify ownership and liabilities. Recom mendation It is reco m m ended that the City Council authorize the Mayor to sign and the City Clerk to attest to the attached agreement establishing joint use of video equipment and facilities. -Kevin B. Northcraft/% Assistant to the City Manager Approved V Disapproved RBN: ms Attach m ent Arthur E. Jones, City Mana