The Management Services Committee on Sept. 3 approved purchasing a new sound system for the boardroom from Area Wide Technologies and agreed to start with a 10-microphone wireless setup to restore and improve meeting audio.

Staff presented a quote that covered wireless microphones, ceiling speakers and the hardware needed to run the system; staff said the total equipment-and-installation cost on the initial proposal was about $11,002.81. The vendor’s representative, Jonathan of Area Wide Technologies, discussed equipment availability and installation timing; staff said equipment could be ordered and installed fairly quickly.

Committee members discussed whether each board member needed an individual microphone or whether one microphone per two-seat desk would suffice. To save cost and allow future expansion, the committee agreed to start with 10 microphones (one per desk) and to confirm whether larger-quantity discounts would apply if additional microphones were ordered later.

A motion to accept Area Wide Technologies' proposal with the 10-microphone configuration carried on a roll call of members present; staff said if the committee later decides to add microphones the vendor can supply additional units without a second installation.

Why it matters: upgraded audio aims to improve meeting recording and remote viewing and to reduce choppy or delayed audio that has affected past broadcasts. Staff said the system will be configured to require users to activate microphones when speaking to avoid continuous background audio, and staff will work with the vendor on any audio–video sync adjustments during installation.