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Board reviews new live-streaming policy and accessibility obligations during first reading
Summary
The Newberry County Board of Trustees reviewed draft policy DE (board meetings) and DEA (live streaming) as first reading items, discussing recording redundancy, ADA captioning quality and a 12-month compliance extension for equipment failures.
The Newberry County Board of Trustees on Sept. 22 reviewed draft policy DE (board meetings) and DEA (live streaming of meetings) as first-reading items and discussed accessibility, equipment failures and how the district will comply with state requirements.
Board packets included the proposed board meetings policy and a new DEA live-streaming policy, presented for first reading by a staff member. The presenter told trustees the DEA text is modeled on a state model code and outlines video streaming and recording requirements.
The policy discussion centered on two practical points: redundancy if the livestream fails, and accessibility for viewers with disabilities. One staff member said, “We record audio of the meeting, and then the live stream is a video audio recording.” Trustees asked whether an audio-only capture would meet requirements if the video stream failed; staff said audio would remain available even if the livestream dropped.
Trustees also raised closed-captioning quality. A board member noted YouTube’s automatic captions are often “not so good,” and staff said the district is “exploring some other options” that would provide higher-quality captioning for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Trustees asked about language in the draft that permits districts with limited broadband to request a 12‑month extension to comply. Staff explained that the model code contemplates either equipment failure or limited broadband in parts of the state and that a district may request an extension in those cases, but that extension does not permit permanent noncompliance.
The policies were presented for first reading only; no final vote was taken. Staff said the draft will return to the board for further consideration after the first reading process and any requested edits.
