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r <br />APR 9 19 0 BOOK 43 FOGS 181 <br />JAY ,JOHNSON, OF THE TODAY NEWSPAPER, APPEARED BEFORE THE <br />BOARD SPEAKING FOR HIMSELF AND EIGHT OTHER MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA, <br />WHO ARE REQUESTING THAT THE BOARD TAPE RECORD ITS MEETINGS IN ORDER. <br />TO SERVE THE PUBLIC BETTER. HE NOTED THAT THE COMMISSION MEETINGS <br />ARE LONG, ITEMS ARE TAKEN UP AT VARIED TIMES, AND EMERGENCY ITEMS <br />ARE TAKEN UP THAT NEVER APPEAR ON THE AGENDA. HE CONTINUED THAT <br />NOT ONLY WOULD SUCH A TAPE MAKE FOR MORE ACCURATE AND FULL REPORTING, <br />BUT IT WOULD ALSO BENEFIT THE COMMISSION TO BE ABLE TO REFER TO THE <br />TAPES WHEN THERE WAS ANY DISAGREEMENT ABOUT WHAT ACTUALLY WAS SAID <br />AT A PREVIOUS MEETING SINCE THE MINUTES ARE NOT VERBATIM. <br />ATTORNEY COLLINS ASKED IF MR. .JOHNSON WAS SUGGESTING THAT <br />THE MEETINGS NOT ONLY BE TAPED, BUT THE TAPES STORED FOREVER, AND <br />MR. .JOHNSON FELT THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE BOARD. HE COMMENTED THAT <br />THE TOWN OF INDIAN RIVER SHORES HAS TAPES GOING BACK TO 1969. <br />MR. .JOHNSON STATED THAT A THREE HOUR TAPE COSTS AROUND <br />$5.00 AND ESTIMATED IT WOULD COST ABOUT $250.00 A YEAR, PLUS THE <br />NEED FOR A SMALL CABINET TO STORE THE TAPES. HE CONTINUED THAT ONE <br />ARGUMENT AGAINST TAPING IS THAT IT WOULD CAUSE MORE WORK FOR THE <br />RECORDING SECRETARY AND IT ALSO HAS BEEN ASKED WHY THE PRESS CAN T BE <br />THERE IN PERSON. HE NOTED THAT ONLY THE PRESS .JOURNAL HAS THE LUXURY <br />OF A REPORTER WHO CAN ATTEND THE MEETING ALL DAY LONG; THE OTHERS <br />ALL HAVE OTHER MEETINGS AND EVENTS THEY MUST COVER. <br />MR. .JOHNSON THEN DISCUSSED MAKING DOCUMENTS SENT TO THE <br />BOARD AND COUNTY---OrFFICIALS MORE EASILY AVAILABLE TO THE PRESS AND <br />THE PUBLIC BY.HAVI-NG'A PUBLIC RECORDS FILE. HE NOTED THAT BACK WHEN <br />THE HOUSING AUTHORS TY -WAS BEING DISCUSSED, A MEMBER OF ST. HELEN'S <br />CATHOLIC CHURCH SAID HIS CHURCH HAD SENT A LETTER SUPPORTING THE <br />HOUSING AUTHORITY. THE PRESS HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS LETTER, AND <br />THEY FELT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN INTERESTED TO KNOW <br />THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS BEHIND THIS PROJECT, BUT THEY COULD <br />NOT WRITE ABOUT IT. HE CITED OTHER SIMILAR HAPPENINGS. <br />CHAIRMAN SIEBERT ASKED WHAT HE MEANT BY A "PUBLIC RECORDS <br />FILE, it AND MR. .JOHNSON EXPLAINED THAT THE CITY OF VERO BEACH JUST <br />W <br />