Council Votes to Hold City Emails for Two Years

Beverly Hills mayor John Mirisch presided over his first city council meeting Tuesday night.

At the meeting, Mirisch got a chance to return to an issue that had frustrated him as Vice Mayor--revising the length of time the city holds digital copies of emails written by employees and officers.

That number was 30 days. After hearing audience comments and some lengthy discussion among one another, the council voted 3-2 to approve a motion that would revise city policy to two years.

Mirisch, Vice Mayor Lili Bosse, newly-returning council member Nancy Krasne, and Mirisich voted in favor of the change.

"This is a public business.  Anything we do belongs to the residents,' said Bosse. before the vote. "For me it's about open government."

Added Krasne, "I think we should keep emails forever, but I think this is good for the city."

Debate in part focused on an appropriate length of time to store the emails.

West Hollywood and Redondo Beach are among Southern California cities that hold emails just 30 days, according to data presented at the meeting. 

Mirisch suggested two years, paralleling the California Public Records Act. It gives the public the right to inspect all documents related to the "conduct of any public businec's business prepared, owned, used or retailed by a state or local agency..." including emails.

Bosse at one point asked whether storage capacity might be come an issue with the change. A Beverly Hills staff member advised that two years' of storage would take just several terabytes, while the city's capacity is nearly 100 terabytes.

Former Mayor William Brien and returning councilmember Julian Gold voted against the change.

In other business, the council voted 4-1 to require a $150,000 deposit from homeowners who participate in the city's Trousdale View Restoration Permits program.

The vote also set an apportionment schedule for sharing costs from litigation that might result from the program.

Mirisch was the lone dissenting vote.

The council also voted 5-0 to amend its deadline for homeowners to have fire retardant roofing to July 1, 2014.

The amendment also gives homeowners the option of treating roofs with fire retardant spray.

The next meeting of the council takes place Thursday, April 11.