Council approves $25,000 capital amendment to restore chamber broadcast and AV control unit

City staff and the IT director described a technical failure in the council‑chamber audio‑visual system and requested a $25,000 budget amendment to replace a control unit that processes audio and video feeds for live broadcast and cable carriage.

Rick Powell, the city’s IT director, told council members on May 19 that the chamber’s current encoder/decoder and associated equipment are roughly a decade old and that the failing unit prevents the city from sending live feeds to its cable provider (Spectrum/Charter). Powell presented quotes showing the new hardware would cost about $10,000 and that installation and configuration costs could bring the not‑to‑exceed estimate to about $25,000. He said replacing the control unit would not preclude later investments in mics or other AV upgrades.

The city manager and staff recommended funding the purchase from the capital projects fund; council discussion noted that the appropriation requires a two‑thirds vote of the full council under applicable law. The city attorney confirmed the two‑thirds requirement and council then approved the amendment. Councilmembers said restoring the feed to Spectrum was a priority after residents asked why the city's meetings were not airing on cable.

Staff also explained that the package quoted did not include optional confidence monitors or some peripheral items; those could be considered later. The appropriation was to come from an existing capital line (asphalt/resurfacing) with a possible future reallocation for sidewalk capital if needed, the manager said.