City Council: More detail requested
on reviving translation services
January 07, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
After discussion the City Council agreed to reexamine translation services for regular council meetings, but expressed their wish to definitely provide such services for special sessions and workshops.
The council discussed the issue at the December 15 meeting where City Manager Jaime Fontes and Assistant to the City Manager Elisabeth Paniagua presented the report.
The report noted that the city paid about $16,000 for translation services in 2010-2011 but Fontes said the actual cost was about $60,000.
The cost included the translator for live council meetings broadcast on Time Warner Cable Channel 10, special meetings and workshops, as well as special listening devices for those in the audience. The translator would also help members of the public address the council.
The city does continue to provide documents, letters, notices and information about special events bilingually.
The city phone system also has an option for Spanish-only speakers.
Councilwoman Ginger Gherardi asked about ownership of translating equipment, noting that Time Warner reportedly did not film the Optimist Club Christmas Parade due to expired contractual obligations.
The Santa Paula Unified School District, she added, has translation equipment that the city could borrow for workshops at no cost and she suggested a city employee might want to translate meetings.
Vice Mayor Martin Hernandez noted that the proposal to seek bids on translation services “Doesn’t cover a specific scope of work,” that would be required.
Councilman Jim Tovias worried that the city could be “tapping reserves again to pay for this service,” money that could be spent for employee salaries.
Hernandez agreed with Tovias’ suggestion to wait until the mid-year budget update to consider the issue, which he said could come back to the council with more detailed information.
“I do agree it’s a very important service,” he added.
Mayor John Procter said he used his “mayoral privilege” to place the item on the agenda, “Mainly because of the upcoming workshops,” where the council will set goals and priorities.
The council has already made community involvement a priority but Procter opted for a professional, noting, “Real time translation is a real art... the complexity of government language is hard enough in English.”
Councilwoman Jenny Crosswhite, who is fully bilingual, agreed noting that simultaneously translating government business is “a whole different gift and skill set,” and one that is “very specialized... “
Fontes recommended, “The most professional services you can get,” and noted such contractors normally have all the necessary equipment.
“It’s one stop shopping,” he noted.
The council asked that the issue be returned to them in February.
Crosswhite said translation is important to citizens: she told of a city water and sewer rate meeting where “A woman stood up at the end and said ‘I pay my bill every month and would appreciate,’ being able to understand,” what was being discussed at the session.
