CC - Item 7A - Staff Report Foreign Language Translation M
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49 teport
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND MEMBERS
ROSEMEAD CITY COUNCIL
FROM. NANCY VALDERRAMA, CITY CLERK&
DATE: JUNE 17, 1999
RE: FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRANSLATION COST INCREASE FOR
CANDIDATES STATEMENT-MARCH 2, 1999 CITY ELECTION
Councilman Taylor has requested that this item be placed on the agenda for discussion purposes.
A representative from Martin and Chapman, the City's election consultants, will be at the meeting
to answer any questions. Attached is a letter of explanation from Martin & Chapman, and their
invoice reflecting the cost increases.
Attch.
COUNCIL AGENDA
JUN 221999
ITEM No.X11. 4
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`¢ r Martin & Chapman Co.
1951 Wright Circle, Anaheim, CA 92005-6028 1714) 939-9856 FAX 17141939-9870
RECEP 'FP
May 26, 1999 CITY T?= POStMeS.>W
JUN 11999
,1MCLERKS_OFfaaa
Nancy Valderrama, City Clerk
8838 Valley Blvd
PO Box 399
Rosemead, CA 91770-0399
Dear Nancy:
We are sorry that you have been questioned regarding the cost of Chinese and
Vietnamese candidates' statement translations. We hope the following information will
help.
The Federal Voting Rights Act requires certain election materials for elections conducted
in Los Angeles County to be prepared in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese,
Japanese and Tagalog. A program developed by the Registrar of Voters in cooperation
with many county based ethnic groups has allowed us to pinpoint which languages may
actually be needed in a particular area and to make specified elections materials such as
candidates' statements available in those languages.
California election law requires that the City notify candidates that any estimates of costs
for printing candidates' statements are only estimates and that additional payment may be
required based on actual costs associated with translating and printing those statements.
In previous elections we have had great difficulty in finding Asian language translators who
could produce translations in a timely fashion in order to print translations in the Sample
Ballot pamphlet or to produce a "Facsimile" pamphlet to be available 29 days before the
election. It was not uncommon for us to be calling these translators just days before
election day so that "Facsimile" pamphlets could be compiled and sent to foreign language
voters.
After our problems with some of our translators through the 1998 election season, a new
translation service was recommended to us. We met with them and explained our need for
timely translations due to the compressed time limits imposed by the election process and
the number of translations required for all the cities. We were comfortable that they could
meet the time constraints required and their performance during the election process was
exemplary.
We believe that the requirements of California election laws and the Federal Voting Rights
Act and the need for cities to provide these materials to voters made it necessary for us
to find a translation service that could provide better response, even with the resulting
higher prices.
An alternative solution to your concerns might be for the city to pay the costs associated
with all translations since the translations are required to be available through Federal law
but not necessarily by candidates choice. The candidates could still be responsible for the
printing of their statements in English and any foreign language in the pamphlet. A number
of cities have switched the cost of the candidates' statement translations from the
candidate to the city.
Another alternative is for the city to find it's own translator for each language at whatever
cost you can negotiate with them. You will need to impress upon them the timely nature
of the translations and the need to have them "camera-ready' so that you can produce
"Facsimile" pamphlets and be prepared to spend some staff time working with them.
We hope this will answer the concerns expressed about translation services. Feel free to
call us should there be any more questions.
Inv/
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colt D Ma in M. Paul Marshal Glenn I. Sailer
E1SCOTT.W P\rosemead
1951 Wright Circle Martin & Chapman Co.
Anaheim, CA 92805-5028 (714) 939-9855 FAX (714) 939-9870
CITY OF: ROSEMEAD 01-Mar-99
OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK Invoice No.: 99095
GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION
MARCH 2, 1999
19800 3 Pages of Candidates Statements 53,666.00
of Sample Ballot & Voter Information
Pamphlets
3 Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese translations included
Sales Tax 8.250 302.45
TOTAL DUE THIS INVOICE 53,968.45
TERMS: NET 30 DAYS/ 1.5% PER MONTH THEREAFTER
Cost per Candidate: 3 Engl & Span
English 313.00
Spanish 313.00
Spanish translations 110.00
Chinese translations 204.00
Vietnamese translations 282.00
Subtotal: 1222.00
Sales Tax: 100.82
TOTAL EACH CANDIDATE: $1,322.82
All Candidates