Columbia to issue RFP to modernize council chamber audio-visual system; budget roughly $599,000

City staff told a July 7 City of Columbia pre-council meeting they plan to issue a request for proposals by the end of next week to replace the city’s aging analog audio-visual system in the council chamber and control room.

Bridal Atkinson, a staff member leading the project update, said the current system dates to the building’s opening in 2010 with equipment updates in 2014 and that some cameras predate the building. She said the project would convert the city’s analog setup to a digital system to improve picture and sound quality, accessibility, and maintainability.

The project scope listed by staff includes standardizing infrastructure, improving reliability for live and scheduled broadcasts, streamlining operations with information-technology compatibility, and improving accessibility features such as larger monitors, a more accessible podium and potential in-chamber live captioning. Atkinson said the control room and council chamber are…