Spanish speakers needing to address the National City City Council regarding issues affecting their neighborhoods no longer have to worry about a language barrier.
A new pilot program in National City designates an officially licensed interpreter, Laura Casas, at city council meetings to interpret a Spanish speaker’s comments to English for the council, and interpret the council’s comments back to Spanish for the speaker.
The program has been in the pilot phase for about four months with various uses, said City Clerk Mike Dalla.
At the beginning of each council meeting, the council makes an announcement that interpretation is available for anyone in the audience. On the request to speak forms there is a check off box if someone needs interpretation services.
“People have utilized them (interpreter),” Dalla said. “Some meetings not at all, other meetings one or two people. It doesn’t matter how many times they are used in a meeting, if you’re the one person that needs their service it is important to you.”
The program is in its fourth month, and the city council will vote later this year on whether they want to make the pilot a permanent program.
Dalla said the council decided to try out the program after a few meetings this year became awkward with things getting lost in translation.
Previously for a Spanish speaker to address the council they would either bring a guest with them to interpret for them or someone in the council chamber would help, both methods proving unsuccessful, Dalla said.
“It’s not necessarily the best set up to have either the staff or the elected officials be the ones that are interpreting comments from the public,” Dalla said.
For more than 15 years the city has provided simultaneous interpretation services with a battery-powered receiver for anyone who wanted to listen to a council meeting in Spanish.
But the city did not have a system in place for Spanish speakers wanting to talk during public comment, a public hearing or on any other item on the agenda.
As of now, Spanish interpretation is the only language the program offers. Dalla said the city would consider adding more languages for interpretation if they find a need to do so. The city contracted with an interpreter that pays per meeting. Casas charges $100 for every two hours she is at the meeting.
National City Councilwoman Mona Rios said with the new pilot program she expects more residents to be active at City Hall.
“Language barriers can prevent people from fully participating in civic life so enabling our community to use their own language increases their opportunity to communicate with their local leaders and ensures the flow of information that is vital to effective serving and community building,” she said.
