Playback permitted PCC allows recording of meeting

PAOLA CASTILLO Reporter @RoundupNews

After years of debate, the Pierce College Council (PCC) has finally decided to allow their meetings to be recorded.

The decision, made Thursday, Oct. 24, came after input from Pierce President Alexis Montevirgen.

Montevirgen said he had emailed the Los Angeles Community College District’s general counsel to see if there was a legal binding authority. He read out loud what the general counsel responded.

“If the college council has been open to the public, then it would be problematic to not allow recording. This is a public meeting, not private, so no one’s privacy is being impacted,” Montevirgen said.

The email sent to Montevirgen made reference to Meetings, Cal. Penal Code § 54953.5 section a. It declares that anyone who attends an open and public meeting has the right to record with an audio or visual recorder. The visual recorder can be a still or motion picture camera.

After Montevirgen affirmed that the meetings could be recorded, some members of the council expressed concern over what recording the meetings could mean for the committee members and attendees.

The idea of having an official recording every meeting came up. Modern Language Department Chair Fernando Oleas suggested the idea of having the recordings closed captioned.

Some members of the committee argued that there wasn’t enough in the budget to record, close caption and store the recordings.