_ _ _ _ _  a comment by ...  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
     If the City posted the stenographic output of these machines
(and minutes and reports recived, etc.) to the city website, the
public could have ready access without having to file a request, and
they could select the parts in which they were interested.

If a hard copy were desired or needed, it could be downloaded and
printed out by the person wanting the hard copy.


     It seems that too many government agencies are still
looking for ways to do business under the cloak of darkness and use
things like cost and inconvenience to discourage people from asking
for information.

If the notion that the best disinfectant for government business is
sunshine, then organizations like the City of Boston should WANT
to make this information available to as many people as possible and
not just to those who can afford $270/meeting.


_ _ _ _ _  a comment by ...  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
     In the alternative, and consistent with both the letter and the
spirit of the law, posting this output to the city's website so that
folks could choose for themselves what they wanted to download and
print would be acceptable.


- - - - - From: [log in to unmask] - - - - -
     Attached please find the
City Council's response to your request for information pursuant to
GL c4 s7 cl.26; GL c66 s10 through 18.
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/preidx.htm

In your April 24, 2007 request of the City Clerk and stenographer
Ellen Fritch, you requested the stenographic machine output for the
City Council meeting of either April 11, 2007 or April 4, 2007.

As the department that has the
contract with the stenographer, I am responding to your request.

I have calculated the costs necessary for the copies of the physical
output of the stenographer's machine (paper tape).

To make a photocopy of the machine output takes approximately
one hour of staff time to copy
thirty minutes of Council meeting stenographic output.

The hourly wage of the
lowest paid staff person capable of completing this task is
twenty-five dollars per hour.

Each meeting lasted approximately
three hours, requiring
six hours of the staff person's time to
make copies of the original stenographic output, at a total cost of
$150.00.

Additionally, the copies themselves will cost
$0.20 cents per page at an estimated
600 pages, totaling
$120.00.

The check would need to be
made out to "City of Boston" and sent to me.


     Please contact me regarding
whether you will want the copies to be made.
We will begin processing your request upon receipt of the funds.
Sincerely,
Ann Hess Braga, Staff Director
Boston City Council
http://cityofboston.gov/citycouncil
[log in to unmask]
Ann.Braga at cityofboston.gov

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