Lights, Camera, Inaction

For two years, Ed Kravitz, webmaster for Imperial Beach government watchdog website saveIB.com, has fought with city officials over streaming Imperial Beach City Council meetings on his website.

When I.B. city councilmembers and Mayor Jim Janney agreed during a March 17 council meeting to broadcast live meetings on government access channel 24, the fight appeared to be in the final round. Imperial Beach would no longer be one of only three cities in San Diego County that does not broadcast council meetings online or on television.

Despite the decision to air the meetings, Kravitz isn't ready to retreat to his corner.

The former Imperial Beach resident, who now resides near Chicago, says the decision to broadcast meetings on government access television doesn't address his request to stream the video on his website.

"It has nothing to do with my issue," Kravitz said during an April 8 phone interview. "I was asking to stream from my website. They are still blowing me off."

Kravitz wants to see the city council policy that prohibits the public from recording public meetings. If there is no policy or record of that vote, Kravitz asks that the issue appear on a future agenda. Until then, he doubts the city will follow up on their decision to broadcast council meetings.

"Just because they say they are going to do it, doesn't mean anything. I don't see a council meeting on my TV set or on my computer."

Kravitz plans to continue his fight for footage at council meetings and is considering hiring an attorney.

"It won't be over until you see council meetings stream from my website."

According to a representative from the public relations firm that works for Imperial Beach, "Broadcast is expected to begin in a few months. No firm date is set."