Print Return
    10.    
INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
Meeting Date: 11/09/2020  
Subject:    Policy Regarding Policy Regarding Language Interpretation Services at Board of Supervisors Meetings
Department: County Administrator  
Referral No.: IOC 20/9  
Referral Name: Policy Regarding Language Interpretation Services at Board of Supervisors Meetings
Presenter: Jami Napier, Chief Asst Clerk of the Board Contact: Jami Napier, 925-655-2005
Information
Referral History:
On March 26, 2019, the Board of Supervisors (BOS) requested that the Internal Operations Committee (IOC) develop a policy on language interpretation services at Board of Supervisors meetings. The IOC considered this matter on September 9, 2019 and decided that the services could not practically be rolled out until staff relocated to the new Administration Building at 1025 Escobar Street in Martinez.

The IOC gave staff direction to report back with additional information to assist the Committee in determining the best model for providing these services at Board meetings. The IOC received a follow-up report on December 9, 2019 and directed staff to prepare a report for Board discussion on January 21, 2020 with recommendations to consider implementing language translation services at BOS meetings upon 72 hours' prior notice once the Board began using its new meeting chambers, estimated to be in or around June 2020. Staff was also asked to confer with the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) on the feasibility of implementing language interpretation in the current BOS Chambers.

On January 21, 2020 staff presented to the Board of Supervisors on the status of language interpretation at meetings. Because this presentation occurred before the COVID-19 pandemic began, it was anticipated that improved interpretation equipment would be implemented in the new Board Chambers during 2020. The recommendation in January was for the Clerk of the Board Division to secure its own contract for hiring interpreters with Language Line, the service provider that the Contra Costa Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD) presently uses.

Obtaining both the equipment and a contract for on-call interpreters will enable the BOS meetings to feature additional requested services for the public. This roll-out would include adding a language interpretation policy to the County website and working with the Office of Communications and Media on how to communicate the new policy and procedures to the public.

The Internal Operations Committee, composed by Supervisors Andersen and Burgis, also directed staff to explore the feasibility of providing Board of Supervisors agenda material in Spanish as well as English. The translation of written materials from English to Spanish are charged per word. Language Line, the vendor EHSD contracts with, charges $0.19 per word for English to Spanish translation. Twenty-six-page agendas are common for many BOS meetings that have over 100 items on the agenda. Thus, an English to Spanish translation of a typical twenty-six-page meeting agenda that has approximately 7,800 words would cost $1,482. A shorter agenda of roughly 75 items could be closer to 6,000 words (approximately 20 pages) and would cost $1,140.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Board of Supervisors began holding its meeting virtually. This included the five Board of Supervisors all participating in the meeting from remote locations, minimal staff in the board room, and public participation through a call-in number. Upon moving to the new County Administration building during the summer of 2020, the Board of Supervisors continues to meet virtually. Ensuring effective virtual meetings with public participation was the focus for both Clerk of the Board and DoIT for the second and third quarters of 2020. These divisions worked to convert meetings to an entirely new format, while preserving the ability of the public to participate. As the logistics for managing the BOS meetings became smoother, the use of interpretation services was quickly added.

The current process for interpretation services is to have an interpreter in the Board Chambers who provides consecutive interpretation in Spanish only for members of the public during public comment periods of the meetings.
Referral Update:
The goal of this report is to determine what process the Board of Supervisors should use while the meetings are held virtually, as well as to make a policy on how to provide interpretation services for BOS meetings after in-person meetings resume.


Policy decisions include:

  1. Simultaneous vs. Consecutive Interpretation
Staff recommends that the policy determine whether simultaneous or consecutive interpretation will be utilized. Consecutive interpretation occurs when the interpreter translates speech once the speaker stops speaking, usually at several intervals throughout his/her comment. The use of consecutive interpretation would require the services of an interpreter. Simultaneous interpretation occurs when the interpreter translates at the same time the speaker is talking. In addition to the services of an interpreter, the use of simultaneous interpretation would require equipment such as headsets that could be either rented or purchased. Simultaneous interpretation services with the headset options have technological needs that would require the Information Technology department (DOIT) to maintain the equipment. During the COVID-19 pandemic and afterward, any equipment that would be reused meeting to meeting would need to be properly sanitized. Proper sanitizing of equipment would require both staff training and any costs associated with the cleaning. Considerations for both the simultaneous and consecutive options include where the interpreter would sit (either on-site or off-site) and what costs would be associated with these purchases.

Another option is for the Board of Supervisors to provide consecutive interpretation for public comment only. As is currently occurring, a contractor present in the board room for the meetings provides consecutive interpretation for members of the public who call in for public comment. Once in-person meetings being again, this service could be replicated almost identically with the member of the public being in the board room, instead of on the telephone.
  1. Determine Portions of Meetings to be Interpreted
The policy should determine which portions of the BOS meetings will be interpreted. Currently, a contracted interpreter sits in the Board Chambers during meetings and provides consecutive interpretation in Spanish only for members of the public who call in for public comment. Once in-person meetings begin again, this service could be replicated almost identically with the member of the public being in the board room versus on the telephone.

The policy should indicate which language interpretation services will be provided at BOS meetings. Staff recommends that consecutive interpretation be provided for Spanish only and that meetings be broadcast in English on CCTV and Spanish on YouTube.
  1. Agenda Translation
Another consideration is whether to translate BOS meeting agendas to Spanish. Additionally, the method for translation should be determined. Options include utilizing translation services, which would be costly but more accurate, or utilizing Google Translate, which would be more cost effective but less accurate. While Google Translate is not a legally defensible translation, a member of the public should be able to determine if an agenda item is of interest to them through a version of the agenda generated through Google Translate. If agenda translation services are implemented through either method, the need to revise the timeline for agenda production may also need to be considered, given the additional steps that would be required to produce the final agenda.
  1. Timeline for Notification of Need for Interpretation Services
Assuming a Spanish interpreter is always on-site for each Board of Supervisors meeting, the Clerk of the Board will need advance notice if an interpreter for a language other than Spanish is needed. A specific time period should be established for notifying the Clerk of the Board of the need to retain additional interpretation services for a meeting. This deadline will appear on the agenda for each meeting.

If the Board of Supervisors directs staff to retain interpretation services for Board of Supervisors meetings, staff recommends the County issue a Request for Proposals to provide the services. Once the policy decisions are determined by the Board of Supervisors, staff will retain the applicable services and include interpretation language on the meeting agendas in both English and Spanish similar to the following :

LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION: Language services can be provided at all regular and special Board of Supervisors meetings if requested at least XX hours in advance of the meeting to help ensure availability. For more information or to request services, contact Clerk of the Board at (925) 655-2000 or clerkoftheboard@cob.cccounty.us .
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
ACCEPT report on language interpretation services at Board of Supervisors meetings and PROVIDE direction to staff regarding next steps.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
Unknown fiscal impact.
Attachments
No file(s) attached.

AgendaQuick©2005 - 2024 Destiny Software Inc., All Rights Reserved