Council May End Policy of Copying Its Letters

MOORPARK — Letters from the City Council may soon go out without “cc” at the bottom, under a plan by the mayor to improve efficiency and enhance privacy.

Mayor Patrick Hunter has recommended that the city delete a section from its procedures handbook that requires all letters that a council member writes on city letterhead to be copied and distributed to the full council.

“I just believe it is my right to write a letter to a resident and have that letter remain in confidence,” Hunter said in defense of his proposal. The council is expected to vote on the proposed policy change Nov. 19.

While the other nine cities in Ventura County follow Moorpark’s current procedure, the new Moorpark policy would mean only one copy of correspondence would be placed in the file of the council member who wrote the letter.

Interested council members would then have to search the files of their colleagues each week, rather than automatically receive a copy of the letters.

Eloise Brown, a former city councilwoman, said she worries that the suggested policy change will allow city lawmakers to think that public matters can be handled in private. She argued that a letter sent to a council member is not private and neither is correspondence sent out on city letterhead.

“I feel it does create the possibility of city business becoming more private if other council members are not immediately made aware of what goes on,” she said. “And in essence, it places council members in the same position as the public in that they do not have timely knowledge of city correspondence.”

The sharing of council correspondence is standard practice in the county. The city of Santa Paula takes it a step further by requiring that letters taking a position on any issue must first be approved by the entire council, said Mayor Robin Sullivan.

“We act as a body,” Sullivan said. “One council member cannot take a position for the city unless it’s been approved by the entire body.”

Ventura’s council agreed to automatically send copies of their letters to one another two years ago to ensure that each council member is kept abreast of city issues. All letters are shared, except for incoming mail that is stamped private.

In Moorpark, an earlier proposal to stop the letters’ exchange came up in 1995 but was unanimously rejected on a 4-0 vote.

Hunter revived the proposal as part of an annual review of the city’s procedures and policies. Hunter and Councilman Chris Evans were selected to find ways to update and improve council policies.

Most of the policies were left intact or given minor modification. Among the proposed changes is a suggestion to start each council meeting with an invocation by a local clergy member.

While the elimination of duplicate letters could save money in photocopying costs, the main reason for the suggestion was to give council members more control over their letters to the public, Hunter said.

“Individual council members should be afforded the opportunity to correspond with the constituency in confidence if they choose to do so,” said Hunter, adding that some residents who write to a council member may think their letters will remain private.

One councilman already opposes the recommendation.

Councilman John Wozniak, who voted against such a proposal two years ago, said it was especially important to know what other colleagues are writing when all five council members names are listed on the letterhead.

“They may all think that if a council member, or mayor pro tem or one of us sends a letter on the letterhead, that all five agree,” Wozniak said. “I want to know what is being said.”

In addition, he worries that people would think the council is not being open.

“We want to get as many things out in the open as we have,” Wozniak added. “Changing this . . . would lead others to believe it’s not happening and I would hate to give that impression.”

Wozniak said he plans to suggest some alternatives at the next regular council meeting. He declined to elaborate.