Features
Health, Safety and Welfare
| Records Management Efforts Enhance Public Access
City Connects with Mississippi Towns for Hurricane
Relief
New City Attorney Steps into Legal Advisor Role
International Exchange Promotes Economic Vitality, Historic Preservation
Constants Continue to be Health, Safety and Welfare
When times are tight, evolution is inevitable. As we’ve worked to harness
resources, reduce expenses and deal with increased costs, setting
priorities has become even more vital to the transformation process to
ensure that we remain true to our core mission.
The basic tenets? … protecting the community’s health, safety and
welfare. By establishing prioritized projects and work programs, we can
make sure our mission is clear and that goals are achievable within a
balanced budget.
To that end, the City looks to address essential community needs
involving land use, housing, economic vitality, public safety, social
matters and public facilities, which enhance Monterey and make it an even
better place.
Inside this issue, we’ve provided a status report on some of our
ongoing priority projects and a preview of what to expect in the year
ahead. Review articles on pages 3-5 for more details.
We’ve also included information gathered through our spring community
survey (see article in the Insert). This data has helped us refine our
services and better understand your needs. Thank you for taking the time
to let us know how we are doing.
We encourage you to continue to be part of the decision-making
process, to learn more about
the projects that drive our work programs and to stay up-to-date with
happenings in your backyard.
Remember to send in your suggestions throughout the year and look
for ongoing opportunities to participate in the process and help shape
your City’s future. We are happy to hear from you anytime.
Click here for contact
info.
Records Management Efforts Enhance Public Access
 Whether they are draft documents, final staff
reports, emails or snail mail letters, the City has a plan to manage the
myriad of documents and resources that come through.
A Citywide Records Management Policy and Records Retention Schedule
was adopted this summer to detail practices for identifying and retaining
records and ultimately, to improve public access to resources.
It is our first comprehensive policy to outline an
organization-wide system to follow when filing and keeping materials – both
old and new.
This process will improve customer service and at the same time,
help us operationally.
It will also keep us in compliance with laws that govern records retention
and public records access.
City staff maintains many records to produce for inspection as
provided under the California Public Records Act and other applicable laws.
Some laws also determine how long a document or record must be kept.
However, our current filing and indexing systems are not identical
in every office, which can lead to delays in locating requested resources,
for either the public or other City staff.
The records management policy addresses this challenge and
incorporates a numerical indexing system that will ensure materials are easy
to find.
The new policy also facilitates identification and preservation of historic
and legislative documents as well as maintenance of our administrative and
legal records in order to conduct day-to-day business.
The policy covers different “document” formats and media, including
paper, electronic, video and audiotapes, emails, databases and even
software.
Regardless of the format, every item is evaluated and classified
based on solid records management principals as they relate to the Public
Records Act and other laws, as appropriate.
In implementing the new policy, we will also transition to a
digital document storage system that will make all records more readily
accessible to the public and to staff. In the near future, more documents
will be available online for ultimate access.
City
Connects with Mississippi Towns for Hurricane Relief
 Monterey has established a
community-to-community partnership with Bay St. Louis
and Waveland, MS, to support these storm-ravaged towns.
These communities, devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August, are
home to a critical national research center, the Naval Oceanographic Office,
which is the headquarters for our own Fleet Numerical Meteorology and
Oceanography Center.
By creating the partnership, Monterey Peninsula community members
and organizations can donate directly or match up with a “partner” in Bay St.
Louis or Waveland to connect with the people in Mississippi who suffered a
direct hit from Katrina. For example, Friends of the Monterey Public
Library are connecting to support
the library systems in Hancock County, which serves these cities. Also
Monterey High School has formed a sistership with Bay St. Louis High School.
For more details about the communities, to see photos and video
clips or to find
a partner to support, visit us online at
www.monterey.org/mspartners
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 New City
Attorney Steps into Legal Advisor Role
Deborah Mall was appointed city attorney by
the City Council this summer and now leads
the City Attorney’s Office.
Mall first joined the City in 1998 as assistant city attorney and
also served as interim city attorney until her appointment.
The city attorney is the legal counselor to the City Council, its
boards and commissions and the officers and employees of the City on all
municipal matters. Mall says she plans to continue the strong tradition
established in the City Attorney’s Office of providing sound legal advice,
successfully resolving litigation, pursuing code enforcement and assisting
staff and community members in ensuring that Monterey is a safe, spectacular
place to live, work and visit.
She takes over the position vacated by former City Attorney Bill
Conners, who retired in December 2004.
To learn more and keep up with promotions and new staff members,
read City Current online. Visit our Web site and click on Employee Updates
at
www.monterey.org/cityhall.html.
International Exchange Promotes Economic Vitality,
Historic Preservation
Officials from Dubrovnik, Croatia, visited
Monterey in late summer to discover strategies for boosting economic
development at home – particularly in the areas of responsible, sustainable,
year-round tourism and business conferences.
The visit was part of Monterey’s technical advisory partnership
with Dubrovnik sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
and the International City Management Association (ICMA). Such partnerships
assist cities and countries in developing a strong economic base and
promoting democracy.
In turn, Monterey officials and staff first visited Dubrovnik
earlier this year and returned again in late October. As part of the
exchange project, we are looking to gain insight into historic preservation
and restoration approaches.
Dubrovnik (city crest pictured), which is on the world-heritage
list of historic places, was heavily damaged in the 1990s as a result of
civil warfare and continuous bombings. The city was under siege for many
weeks and has managed to recover and restore many of its resources and
treasures.
All travel and per diem expenses associated with visits are covered
by the USAID. Check the Web at
www.monterey.org/cityhall.html (click on Community Partnerships) for
more info on the program.
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