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Council weighs formal filming policy as staff outlines current practice with PCTA
Summary
Staff presented the city's informal protocol for filming council meetings and events (PCTA use, PEG funding, production-request form) and council debated whether a formal policy would help staff continuity or unduly limit mayoral discretion; no vote was taken.
Fountain Valley —6 Sept. 25, 2025 —6 City staff summarized current practices for filming and streaming city meetings and events and asked council whether to convert that informal protocol into a formal policy.
Megan Wishner, the staff liaison to the Public Cable Television Authority (PCTA), summarized how the city uses PCTA to stream and archive meetings, and explained the production-request form workflow, estimated turnaround time (one to two weeks) and the use of PEG funds (not the general fund) to pay for third-party production. She listed regularly filmed events including council meetings, planning commission meetings, State of the City and summer fest.
Council members expressed mixed views. Some argued a written policy or standard operating procedure would help new staff and provide consistency; others said a formal, prescriptive policy could limit mayoral discretion and creativity. The city attorney warned that a binding policy could create a standard-of-care that might be the basis for litigation if not followed, suggesting phrasing should be cautious. Several council members recommended keeping language vague and using SOP-style guidance if adopted.
No final policy was adopted; staff said they would return with draft language if the council wanted a formal policy or keep existing informal practices.
